


All Sales Final

by PoisonJack



Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: Alpha Jack, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Blowjobs, Eventual fluff and smut, Facials, Flirty McFlirt flirts, General au, Intercrural Sex, Jack eats ass like a free buffet, Jack is his own fanboy but what else is new, Jack-typical violence, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Rhys, Omegaverse, Scenting, Slow Burn, Somnophilia, Update tags as I go, Voice Kink, creative interrogation techniques, fake married, kind of but i mean this is me writing this soooo...., mail order bride au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2018-12-26 10:01:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 116,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12056643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonJack/pseuds/PoisonJack
Summary: This came from an anon prompt on tumblragesago. Fun and indulgent mail-order omega fic haha All that good smut and fun trope nonsense.Mail order bride Rhys! Where omegas are routinely kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder and Jack decides he needs to get people off his back about "heirs to the kingdom." Rhys nearly stabs him to death after he opens that crate.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Back from Australia-- my grand move didn't last as long as I'd hoped haha. That's what homesickness will do for ya ;) 
> 
> Probably re-wrote this damn opening 20 times during my layover in New Zealand aaaack hope it doesn't feel too contrived :O Been holding on to this prompt for weeeeell over a year >:3
> 
> Also on my tumblr [here](https://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/165213912260/mail-order-bride-rhys-where-omegas-are-routinely). Thanks ThirtySixSaveFiles for the title ;D

Jack sighed in annoyance as he gazed upon what should be the solution to his ever-present problems. 

He’d thought “crate” had been an exaggeration, but there it was, right smack dab in his office where he’d had it delivered. The offending item was not what he’d pictured for the money he'd spent.

It stood upright- quite a bit taller than himself- old sticker labels that had been peeled off and reapplied identifying the contents as ‘generic biological samples’ to be handled with care. It didn't stand out like something fancy and shiny might, thus it didn't draw unwanted attention. It was an eyesore compared to the general grandeur of his office, but he supposed the real prize was what was inside.

This clearly wasn’t the first use the shipping container had seen, though considering the _actual_ contents and the general illicit nature of the industry itself, that shouldn't have surprised Jack. 

The whole ‘mail-order bride’ idea had been funny to the alpha at first. As if Handsome Jack would have to _pay_ for a mate, let alone not have his pick of the whole lot. But his annoyance and desperation with brown-nosing peons trying to manipulate him and get themselves into his bed for their own gain wasn't only pathetic, it was trying on his nerves. Especially the way his old fart executives kept pushing sons and daughters under his nose. 

He had a friggin’ end to all that nonsense; a prospective spouse waiting to be unboxed, all loyal and grateful and the very picture of devoted-- if the life he was taking the omega away from was every bit as shit as the company claimed. The solution to everyone’s problem.

He ran a warm hand over cool, worn steel. The digital display told him that the ‘contents’ of the crate were alive and well, the h2o monitors functioning correctly, the ‘packaged’ date from two weeks prior. Quite a long time to wait but anything to get those gold diggers off his back was worth it. 

Jack clapped his hands together as he stood before the crate. No time like the present to see what he’d purchased.

He entered a code into a false handle, locking mechanisms whirring around the seals and edges of the metal casing, and then pried the crate open, expecting the sight of a pretty new mate still in hypersleep. 

What he got instead was nearly a new scar to the face, jumping back at the last second to avoid the sharpened yellow shiv that the wild-eyed omega lashed out at him with.

“ _Whoa_ \--! hey, drop that shit!” Jack barked out as he danced away from the shiny metal object. 

The omega didn't cease his assault, disoriented enough from the change in environment that Jack was easily able to grab the offending wrist launching the attack. The other man didn't let it go though, using the heft and surprise of a robotic right arm to try to knock the alpha asunder. 

They both went down to the floor, and Jack used his heftier bulk to pin the lithe omega to his belly on the cool marble, forcing the smooth shiv from his hand and keeping the other man prone beneath him. A warning growl was humming in his throat as he settled heavy against the younger man, heart racing with adrenaline at the surprising violence.

Any other time and it might have struck Jack as amusing-- pajama-clad omega with robot bits trying to carve out a handsome piece of Jack for himself. It would be right up there with the guy who had tried to assassinate him with a spork. As cute as it was hilarious.

But the fact that this guy could have taken Jack’s eye out if the alpha had been any slower gave the older man pause. The omega should have been asleep, and who knew how long he'd been awake in that box. Might have actually turned him crazy, meaning Jack would have to wait _another_ two weeks for a replacement since he’d received damaged goods.

Said omega was cursing up a storm at the CEO as Jack kept him pinned in place with a huff, ignoring the snap of teeth that posed no threat at this angle.

“Calm your tits, princess, I’m not gonna hurt you… Unless you try to hurt me. Don't do that, by the way. And quit squirming.”

“Get the hell off me! Where am I? Who the hell are you?!”

Jack snorted at the question, vanity wounded. He dismissed the fact that the omega refused to still beneath him, chuffing and growling in aggravation and still attempting to bite him. Jack kept him where he was.

“First things first, pumpkin. I'll give that hypersleep didn't agree with you to pull a knife on _me_ , but I’m only giving you one pass on that. Don't try that shit again,” Jack growled. “Second, you're on Helios hovering about a thousand miles above a shit hole called Pandora. And be grateful for that privilege-- bandit scum would wear your skin for pjs. Not that yours are much of a step up from the human-leather department.”

The younger man frowned as he looked back at Jack over his shoulder. Wisps of messy auburn hair fell into eyes that glared defiantly up at him-- eyes of blue and brown. Well, that was out of the ordinary at least.

The omega’s tone matched the outrage burning from those eyes as he looked up at Jack. “I have no idea _where_ that is or who _you_ are or what the hell is going on, _now let me_ up.”

Jack stayed right where he was, his ego deciding what order his priorities took. “You don't know who I am? Seriously?” The omega just glared. “They didn't brief you on just how goddamn lucky you are to be in your shoes?” Jack’s sarcastic incredulity wasn't doing it for the pinned man beneath him. “Handsome frickin’ Jack? Most powerful man in the universe? Richer than god? Ringing any bells there cupcake?” The omega sneered at him, scoffing at the endearment, and Jack sighed at the lack of impression. “Shit, your brains must've been scrambled. How long have you been awake in there, kitten? I'm gonna give the company a piece of my boot if I have to send you back.”

The omega went still beneath him, expression going slack in a sudden realization that he tried to keep from his voice. “I'm _not_ a slave.”

Jack snorted at the idea with distaste. “No duh pumpkin. But that's neither here nor there.” He leaned closer and grinned as the younger man’s eyes locked with his and his nostrils flared, getting a scent on him. “Get a new life _and_ a new spouse? Alpha-Omega Solutions? As far as crappy slogans go that one's not too bad... None of this ringing a bell to you, huh?” The younger man growled beneath him. Jack huffed. This was _not_ what he needed; more damn problems. “Mail order bride?” He only got a thinking frown in response, and he sighed again in annoyance, grip tightening then slackening on the omega. “What's your name anyways, kiddo?”

The younger man was huffing, squirming once more. “M-Mail-order--?” he repeated, ignoring the older man’s question. “ _Oooh_ wait until my uncle hears about this. You’re gonna have half of Crius right up your ass and the other half down your throat if you think you can get away with kidnapping me! Get _off_ of me you big smelly alpha!”

Jack blinked at such a threat and then laughed long and hard while he was cursed at yet again. The command in the voice of this string-bean pajama-clad omega did _not_ match his abilities if their current position was anything to go by. And the pride in his voice over a little nothing planet like Crius-- and that Jack would even bother to kidnap him- was a riot. That misplaced confidence was amusing at least.

Especially as the younger man continued to harangue him.

There was a snarl to those plump lips as the prone omega glared back at the CEO’s laughter, the alpha obviously not taking him seriously. “You’re not gonna be laughing later. Don’t _you_ know who _I_ am?! Get off of me, _you knothead_!”

Jack dismissively chuckled, ignoring that he’d asked the omega who he was already. “Don’t know, don’t really care anymore, doesn’t really matter.” Jack moved to give him a poke between shoulder-blades. “I didn't kidnap you, dummy. And you're staying put until we can reign-in that stab-happy little streak of yours. Calm your tits kiddo.” A growl met Jack’s ear, but the younger man finally went limp beneath him, breath still coming in petulant snuffs. “Good, glad we understand one another. Maybe we can actually talk like grown ups. _Behave_.”

Jack eased up, expecting _some_ resistance from the omega clearly playing possum. A bite aimed his way at the very least. He didn’t expect a second blade produced from who knows where, but quick thinking and an elbow to the stomach had the younger man reeling, dropping like a sack of potatoes with a surprised grunt. 

Jack stood over him with a huff and curiosity, blood thrumming with fresh adrenaline at the new attack. With the omega unconscious and no longer a threat, Jack felt a tension headache coming on, all previous relief gone like the bubbles of a stale beer. These complications he could do without.

He didn’t need this kind of shit. He knew the service he used was sketchy at best, but figured they'd know better than to fuck with him on delivery; especially after his custom request for a nice, docile bride-- low-maintenance at the core of everything. 

_This_ solution to his problems seemed to be another problem entirely. 

Someone, _somewhere_ , had obviously fucked up.  

Well, he thought as he hefted the unconscious omega up over his shoulder, he’d take the younger man home with him for now. Not like he could advertise where or _how_ he’d gotten him. Even with him being _him_ , there’d be backlash over that. Handsome Jack might be an alpha, but he had endotypes of all types on his board of executives in powerful positions. Endotype discrimination was something he relished in punishing, and he was smart enough to recognize he’d have to murder a lot of people to get away with this type of shit. Though that never should have even been an issue; the omega he was sent was supposed to have _known_ about the arrangement, and be happy for their new start.

Problems on top of problems on top of shit-flavored nachos of problems.

He’d get to the bottom of things with freakin’ Alpha-Omega Solutions after he locked the younger man over his shoulder away for a while. Maybe get his head checked out to make sure hypersleep hadn’t scrambled his brain. Or any other part of him.

He gave the omega’s ass a pat-- _pfft, bottom of things_. Too bad this one was hell-bent on taking him apart. Pretty omega overall-- pleasing on the eyes, nice scent, cool robot parts, mismatched eyes. If not for those pajamas, the fluffy-haired young man was pretty damn appealing. 

At least if anyone saw Jack with the omega over his shoulder, it should get rumors of him finally getting himself a ‘bride’ running, and get executives and fortune hunters off his damn back.

Make lemonade out of lemons and all that bullshit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't gonna make first chap so short but that works where it ends at the moment. I'm going to attempt to be quick about updates too, so keep on me about them HAHA :3
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so this is the angle i'm taking this thing with xD i hope it doesn't disappoint anyone, i'll try to keep it poppin' haha :D

Jack deposited the omega in a spare room until he could get someone he trusted up there to look at him.

If he _had_ gone slightly mad from hypersleep issues, then Jack was going to send him back and maybe rethink using that damn service at all if this is what the product was like.

It was a waiting game the alpha didn’t want to play: wait for his contact to get up there, wait for the omega to wake up, and wait for Alpha-Omega Solutions to get back to him about his ‘purchase’. Customer service wasn't exactly a top priority as far as black market services went.

The omega refused to talk to him when he'd initially come to, instead pacing the small spare room Jack had locked him in and tearing up the expensive bedding in there in defiance. Jack watched on monitors with a mix of amusement and annoyance as he waited for the only doctor he trusted to arrive on Helios. 

Those sheets were expensive, dammit.

In the hours following, he was able to bribe the omega’s name out of him with proper home cooking-- though Jack didn’t get closer than putting down a plate and backing to the doorjamb- and from there the omega’s lips had been loosened with all kinds of claims and threats to Jack’s person and retribution that made the older man roll his eyes.

The younger man still ate the food instead of giving the walls new paint at least. That much Jack could be grateful for. And with a name like ‘Rhys’, Jack figured he’d have this little shit all figured out in no time flat. Not too many folks walking around with a name like that as far as the alpha was aware. Not too many with a pretty cybernetic arm, either.

It gave the alpha something to do at least, spending his time on the echonet half searching and half screwing around until Nurse Nina arrived at his door.

Rhys growled but didn't attack the big beta as he was checked over, the CEO keeping a wary distance as he was present for the check. Jack chose to ignore the glares sent his way, though he didn't fully remove his observation of the pretty omega. Rhys had taken a few swipes at him after all; no knowing what he might try. 

But that wasn't the only reason the older man was interested. The omega seemed to have quite extensive tattoos inked into pretty pale skin opposite what turned out to be a robotic arm that went all the way up. He didn’t know how he’d missed the tattoo on that pretty pale neck in the first place, though one look up at the omega’s mismatched eyes, and the glare there reminded him he’d had bigger priorities at that time.

Rhys had removed parts of that robotic arm in an attempt to ventilate Jack. That kind of resourcefulness and quick thinking gave the CEO a begrudging admiration for the mouthy little shit. And the way the omega refused to take his gaze off Jack as he was left vulnerable to the beta only added an interested sparkle to Jack’s eyes. Under any other conditions, the alpha might've accepted the challenge in those eyes, but he was pretty sure it would end with something not-fun stuck in him, and Jack had had enough of stabbing attempts for the week.

Nurse Nina was giving Rhys her undivided attention in a full once-over, and he was compliant for the most part, even if her treatment bordered on militant efficiency. He did as she told him and moved as she ordered. Even stopped growling at Jack while she told him, trying to listen to his lungs. The glare aimed at the older man, however, was acceptable so long as it was silent.

“So like what, was he brain-damaged during shipment _oooor_ -or what then? What's the prognosis?”

“You are worried about mind, yes?”

Rhys rolled his eyes as they talked about him like he wasn’t there, though he kept his attention on the alpha as the beta was rough but efficient in her work. “I’d be more worried about your kidneys if I were you,” Rhys mildly threatened. It got a snort from Nina that only made Jack smile.

“I _would_ be if that arm of yours could come apart any more. And you’re not getting those pieces back until you learn to behave, cupcake.” Jack ignored those angry, pretty eyes, in favor of examining the way Rhys’ robotic fingers clenched and unclenched into a fist. 

There had to be a story there. Jack knew enough cyborgs to know no one _willingly_ just lopped off an arm for cool new hardware; not unless they were already missing a limb from some bandit jackass. 

This kid didn’t look like a soldier though-- sure as hell couldn’t fight like one- and he seemed bodily healthy otherwise. It couldn’t be a cosmetic thing… though the younger man was covered in more ink than Jack would ever consider getting, and the omega struck him as particularly prissy where his appearance was concerned. Cybernetic and flesh hands running through his hair fussily when idle.

He wondered what that arm could do, if it served any other functions than makeshift-shivs in a pinch. Good enough heft to deal a decent punch. Probably break out of handcuffs fairly easily. Not rope though, particularly soft, silken ropes if tied to--

“Omega have good hips, Jack.”

“Good for _what_?” The older man huffed in exasperation, brought up from his musings to hear Rhys’ low growls picking back up.

“Good for babies.” Rhys’ growls stopped as suddenly as they'd started, his face turning tomato red as Jack chanced a blank look at him. Nina nodded in satisfaction. “Many babies.” She smiled at Rhys. “Nina _loves_ babies. You call when need babysitter.”

Rhys’ red-faced attention was squared on Jack. “I am _not_ having kids with you.”

“Geez sugar beet, way to jump the gun,” Jack teased without missing a beat. “I was looking for a trophy mate, not a baby-mama.” He threw the younger man a dirty look edging exasperation, though his teasing words seared the omega. “But if you wanna give the ol’ Vice President a workout in the sheets--”

“I'm not doing _anything_ with you,” the omega sneered with disgust, bristling at Jack’s teasing appraisal.

The alpha rolled his eyes, vanity wounded and thinking the sour expression on Rhys’ face was a bit much. “Pretty or not, I’m not touching you with a ten foot pole, princess, even if you beg. You might be all bark, but you've still got teeth that bite-- and not in the fun way.”

The omega snapped his pearly whites at Jack as if to drive the point home, and Nina only laughed and continued her thorough inspection of his person.

“Make sure this idiot isn't _actually_ brain-damaged before you release him on my home, yeah? I prefer my murders in my office, not my living room. Some stains you just can't get out.” 

Jack didn't even spare Rhys a look as he left the pair alone, and the omega visibly relaxed as the beta finished up her dealings with him. 

“Jack make you good alpha,” she spoke as she packed up her goods.

“In his dreams.”

Nina’s laugh was all teeth. “I think you will like. Romance with fists. Very strong. Good alpha.”

The omega snorted.

“You healthy. Nina go.”

The omega watched as the beta left without much other concern for him, leaving the door open and unlocked to the rest of the older man’s penthouse.

Rhys looked at the clothes Jack had tried to give him to change into-- some sweatpants and boxers and a shirt that all smelled heavily of the alpha. He wasn’t happy about it, but as he’d apparently been wearing his pajamas for _two weeks_ , if Jack was to be believed, he _really_ wanted a change. And the locked door in this little room had been opened to him as a small ensuite bathroom. He didn’t like the idea of being naked and vulnerable, but he _really_ liked the thought of being clean, so he squirreled everything away with him in that small room and allowed himself a quick cleanse.

\--

Really, Jack didn't need Nina to check Rhys over to make sure he wasn't crazy, brain-damaged goods. The omega was in the wrong place, should never have been delivered to the older man, and about as far from mail-order bride as Jack had been hoping. _Crius_. Jack knew it, but had to look up what galaxy that was even in. He was suddenly questioning where Alpha-Omega Solutions received their product from, and for this big of a fuck up, did he even _want_ a replacement sent?

_Christ_ , the younger man was far from home.

Crius was probably twice the size of Elpis, home to a little upstart company called Atlas that the omega had deep ties with. There was enough data out there to even imply they'd be a major player in the weapons industry in a handful of years. Too small to even register a blip on Hyperion’s radar, but definitely up and coming; one of three controlling companies on Crius-- not that that was saying much. 

It was the largest of them all, though, so maybe that explained the big fish in a little pond attitude the omega was throwing around.

Rhys was being groomed as head of the family company as far as Jack could figure out. The younger man was personally named in only two stories the older man could find, and it was concerning a new cybernetics division, and his condemnation of rival company practices. Pretty boring stuff, though it was probably a feather in the omega’s cap back home.

It wasn’t like the backwater little planet’s news really made, well, _news_ as far as other, more important planets were concerned, but there was enough there to paint a portrait of the omega for the CEO. 

And it only gave Jack more questions. 

The omega himself eventually popped his head out of the hallway that lead to the room he’d been put in. Jack had an echotablet in his hands as he noticed the movement, stopping halfway to take in the wet-haired, freshly-showered younger man. 

Jack motioned easily as if to say ‘come on in’, stuck on what exactly to say. Rhys looked… Well, batshit crazy and out for his blood or not, the omega was quite pretty, and that damn mop of wet hair and Jack’s clothes on him was doing it for the alpha in ways he wasn't sure he wanted. 

The way the blue ink on Rhys’ left arm wrapped up and under the t-shirt was visually appealing. Aesthetically interesting. Sexy. Definitely sexy. It complimented the yellow steel of his cybernetic right arm. Jack could smell Rhys’ own unique omega scent under the soap and Jack’s own alpha scent, and it made a slight subconsciously-pleased smile curve on the CEO’s lips.

They watched one another warily as the younger man crept uneasily from his temporary jail into the rest of the penthouse. Jack chose to flop down on his couch as if the younger man’s presence didn’t effect him at all, and the omega chose to stand with crossed arms at his nonchalance, looking entirely non-threatening in pants and shirt slightly too big for his lean frame.

Jack chose to break the silence instead of staring at the younger man all night, his voice sounded abnormally loud to himself as they watched one another. “Okay buttercup, your story seems to check out--”

“You're just _now_ getting that?”

“Don't interrupt me,” Jack groused, running a hand through his hair with slight annoyance. “Which leads me to my next question: how in the _hell_ does the heir to the biggest corporation on that piddly little planet on the _ass end_ of _that_ galaxy end up in a crate in _my_ office?” He gave the omega an unimpressed look which Rhys returned in kind.

“ _I_ don’t know how I got here.” 

“Obviously you're deep into some sort of shit, kitten, because you are a _long_ way from home. So what gives? How'd you end up in that crate?”

Rhys frowned, holding himself a bit tighter. “I was asleep at home. Then I woke up in that thing a few hours before you let me out.”

“And you tried to carve me a few new holes with a piece of that robo-arm. And don't glare at _me,_ pumpkin. I've been pretty damn nice and understanding about everything. A friggin’ saint.”

The younger man sniffed dismissively. “Yeah, like buying omegas on the black market for your sex slaves.”

A bark of laughter escaped Jack’s throat, startling Rhys as it echoed off the windows looking into space. “I’m looking for a trophy omega and you jump straight to bangin’. Just what has that little mind of yours been up to, Rhysie? Are you getting on board with the idea?”

Rhys couldn't help the way his cheeks burned at the implication, and growled as Jack waggled his eyebrows at him, teasing him. “You said mail-order bride.”

“Yeah. _Exactly_. Not mail-order sex slave. I need a figurehead to get gold-digging kiss-ups off my ass about heirs and the future of the company and shit, and there’s no better way to shut that down than having a nice little devoted omega on my arm.” Said omega rolled his eyes at his explanation, but Jack pressed on with a smirk. “What, you think I can't get my dick sucked without paying for it? I have to send _away_ for it?” He scoffed. “People are _gagging_ for a piece of my dick. It’s the hottest commodity on this space station. That you think so low of me cuts deep, kitten. Really hurts my feelings there.” 

Rhys scoffed, though his cheeks were still hot and he refused to meet Jack’s green and blue eyes. “You're the one doing shady dealings.”

“Says the guy who tried to stab me _twice_ in under ten minutes time.”

The guilty pout on the omega’s face was as endearing as it was amusing. Jack just chuckled, but changed the subject. As fun and enlightening as talking about his dick could be, they had bigger-- or, maybe equally-sized- problems to tackle.

“So you were kidnapped from your bed. Rival company or something. Get you out of the way.”

“What? No, that's impossible,” Rhys denied, thinking to his safe, _secure_ bedroom back in the big house his parents left him. “I have guard dogs. Big ones. And a security system to rival a king. And any ‘enemies’ I might have aren't smart enough to get past all that. It’s too secure.”

Jack watched him speculatively a few moments, the younger man fidgeting under his scrutiny. “Inside job then. Someone wants you out of the picture.” He patted the couch next to him. “And sit down dammit, you’re making _me_ nervous with your fidgeting. I’m not gonna friggin’ bite.” 

The omega rolled his eyes but took a seat as far away from the alpha as possible, lowering himself to practically perch on the plush couch. He ignored Jack’s toothy, satisfied grin at this small victory. “That’s ridiculous. No one I know would do this.”

“Then how do you think you've ended up here in my living room, smart guy?”

The younger man was silent yet again, looking properly frustrated with nothing new to add. He played with the hem of the shirt he was wearing, a thinking frown on his face.

Jack huffed. Yet more bullshit he didn't have patience for. He’d gotten an irate omega-- who wasn’t afraid to take a stab at him- glaring at him from the other end of his couch wearing the alpha’s own clothes. An omega most likely kidnapped from his bed and sent to Jack in some weird fucking mix up. 

He felt a headache coming on.

The CEO huffed at the idea brewing in his head, but went forward as he was out of options. “Look pumpkin, you’re going to be my guest for a while until I figure this shit out. I don't like people trying to fuck me over without knowing why, so whoever burned you probably burned me too. Well, they _definitely_ have since I’m out a pretty new bride. But that’s besides the point. Just think of yourself as my… personal guest until then.”

The crease between the younger man’s eyes could have cut diamonds, he was glaring so hard at the alpha. “You mean prisoner.”

Jack laughed half-heartedly. “That’s all a matter of perspective,” the alpha said with a sharp grin. “Someone wanted you out of the picture kiddo. That much is pretty damn obvious. I'm your best bet to finding that person. But you might as well be useful while you’re here; I'm out a bride and up one smartass. So you'll be playing the role until we figure it out. Bride that is, not smartass.”

Rhys crossed his arms defiantly. “I’m not cooking and cleaning for you, Jack. _Or anything else._ ”

The CEO snorted. “Hell, do you have _any_ idea just how filthy rich I am? No wait, you’re from the end of bumfuck nowhere… How have you _never_ heard of me?” Jack made a frustrated noise. “Ah forget it, you’ll learn how cool I am eventually. But nah pumpkin, _you’re_ going to play nice-and-obedient house-omega to Hyperion’s most eligible alpha for a while. Basically, you’re arm candy.”

Rhys gaped at him, waiting for the punchline to a joke that wasn’t coming. Jack just grinned a dazzling smile his way that heated his cheeks a little. “Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously. I’m sick to death of people asking about the line of succession here. Gotta get these fortune-seekers off my back trying to snatch up Hyperion’s best and greatest.”

Rhys snorted. “When do I get to meet _that_ guy?” he asked sarcastically. His venom didn’t manage to wound Jack’s pride, only making the alpha smirk, and the omega glowered even further.

“Look cupcake, you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. Easy-peasy.” 

“It's your idea of ‘back scratching’ I have a problem with.”

“Geez you can't take a joke at all can you buttercup?” 

The older man sat up straight, turning his body toward the omega. The younger man leaned a bit forward, ready to flee at the slightest provocation, and Jack inwardly rolled his eyes. All bark and no bite indeed. Jack relaxed his stature a bit so as not to spook him. 

“I’m not asking for anything difficult, or _weird_ , or whatever dirty shit your filthy mind can come up with.” He ignored the reddening cheeks, but smirked at the pout. “You're practically getting a free, fully-paid vacation at the center of civilization and all you do is assassinate my character. That hurts Rhysie. Right here.” He patted his chest dramatically and was rewarded with a snort.

“I think you can deal with it.”

Jack smirked, amused with the way the omega didn’t back down, but tone taking a more serious note. “Imagine yourself in my super-expensive shoes, kitten.” Rhys raised a brow to that, which Jack chose to ignore. “I’ve got all kinds of idiots and executives trying to shove sons and daughters and underlings and puppets or _whatever_ under my nose and into my bed. People constantly asking about pups and kids and other shit I’m not interested in. Get that? It’s friggin’ annoying.”

“Hardly sounds like the end of the world,” Rhys muttered.

“Omegas induce heats when they know I’m coming for an inspection, princess. Yeah, let that sink in. It's getting to be too expensive to just shoot everyone who bugs me, and it's cutting into productivity. It's really hard being this handsome.”

Rhys snorted at that.

“I’m glad you think it’s funny, but you just wait. It’s like they’re hoping to trigger a rut like I’m some goddamn teenager or some shit. They hope I’ll just jump anyone that smells good and that'll be that, all problems solved, got Handsome Jack by the knot.”

“You _don’t_ just do that?” Rhys’ voice was sarcastically incredulous, but Jack only grinned, undeterred.

“Well if you think I’m always getting tail, then you’re finally starting to get how awesome I am, pumpkin.” He winked and Rhys looked away with a slight frown. The CEO couldn’t keep the amused smirk from his face. “It’s annoying as hell is what I’m saying. If they all think I’ve got some pretty little devoted mate at home, maybe productivity will actually go up in this shitshow of a space station instead of my employees trying to jump my very-attractive bones.” 

Rhys snorted again. Jack was obviously his own biggest fan. 

“Look, I don’t have to do this you know, but I'll help you find this shit out with you if it means you'll play nice with me, and since I'm such a nice guy, I'll even pay you for your troubles, okay? You can make a whole other Atlas with what I’ll pay you. How's that for generous and saintly, kiddo?”

There was an insult there, Rhys knew, but he chose to ignore it, wondering if this was too good to be true. What choice did he really have, though? He wasn't even sure where he was. “So I just have to make public appearances with you. That’s it.”

“You just gotta play the part of arm-candy, baby. That’s _literally_ it. Easiest goddamn job in the world. The lucky omega that took Handsome Jack off the market. Until I can get a proper replacement for you sent up here. Most people would _pay_ for the privilege to be seen on my arm.”

Rhys ignored Jack’s nonstop ego-jerking to think; couldn’t believe he was actually considering it. “So if I help get people off your back, you’ll help me figure this out and get back home?”

“Can and will, cupcake.” Jack chuckled. “I guarantee you’ll enjoy it.”

“Whatever, Jack.” The alpha was watching him pensively, and Rhys realized he wanted a proper answer. Well, what did he have to lose? He was already further from home than he’d ever considered possible, his uncle and the board members were probably worried sick, and he’d left a mountain of work behind him that he was eager to get back to. 

This alpha seemed like the best bet for making everything happen. Especially if it was in Jack’s own interest in doing so, which the older man seemed to think it was. Playing the part of arm candy wasn't exactly arduous if he was gonna be stuck here anyways.

Even if Jack made Rhys nervous in ways he didn’t fully expect, and was something of a cocky ass to boot.

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

He was rewarded with a toothy grin from the older man, Jack scooting down the couch to get just close enough to reach out a hand.

“Shake on it.” Rhys raised a brow at the hand the alpha extended, eyes wide with him that much closer. Jack brushed off the expectant expression. “I'm not making you sign any dumb contracts or stuff like that, but I mean what I say, cupcake. I expect you to do your bit if I do mine. And no more trying to stab me in the back,” he said with a bit of a growl to his tone, though he still smiled at the younger man. “Shake on it.”

After a few moments of contemplation, Rhys slipped his robotic hand into the alpha’s own. Jack frowned at the metal, the strong grip, and met Rhys’ eyes.

“Robo-hand still means business, pumpkin,” Jack warned distrustfully. 

Rhys rolled his eyes with disbelief, taking his hand back and extending his flesh left hand. He gave the older man a look like he was an idiot as Jack stared at it, then tried to shake left hand with right hand. Rhys wondered for a minute if he was a whole lot dumber than he looked for the awkward angle.

“Right, well, this is a contract anyways,” the CEO told him as he grasped Rhys’ hand with his much larger, warmer one. It was more of a hold than a shake, and the self-pleased smile spreading its way onto Jack's face like slowly melting butter had the younger man looking away self-consciously.

Rhys was lying to himself if he said his heart didn’t speed up a bit at that firm grip, but he put it off to nerves and distrust at the older man touching him. His pinkening cheeks, however, weren’t as easily explained away, and he quickly took his hand back, covering it with his cybernetic one.

Jack sat with his forearms on his knees as he observed the younger man, and smirked in satisfaction. Some problems dealt with were better than none, at least. And if Rhys thought he didn’t notice that blush, he was stupid as he was pretty. 

But Jack could muse on that later.

“Well then, we’re in business. And here-” Jack tossed an echopad into his lap as the omega yelped in surprise, “-brush up with a few of my biopics or something. You're pretty enough that people might think I picked you just for that, but in case it comes up, you should at least understand the basics of how awesome I am, right?”

“Are you serious?” Rhys asked as Jack got up to walk into the kitchen, keeping a wary eye on the omega.

“As a shiv in the kidney, kitten!”

The omega frowned at the jab as Jack snickered to himself in the kitchen, muttering about pretzels or something while opening cabinets. Rhys kept his awareness divided between the alpha’s presence and the piece of tech in his lap, hoping things panned out like the CEO promised.

After the events of the day and the past two weeks in hypersleep, Rhys didn’t expect to catch a wink tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll like the total burn on canon Rhys for voluntarily getting that robotic arm? BAHAHHA 
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can foresee this becoming a lot longer than I intend >_> Hope you're all up for it haha

He hated himself to admit it, but Rhys had watched every biopic about Handsome Jack he could find, and had eaten every last one up in intrigue and shock.

It couldn’t _all_ be true. More than a fair amount of the details _had_ to be exaggerated to make it flow. Good cinema and all that. At the very least embellished. 

Just from his limited experience in the alpha’s company, Rhys didn’t think one man could have accomplished everything the films claimed. Jack would have to be a hell of a fighter _and_ a genius to boot, but so far all Rhys was positive of was that the man had an ego to equal the claims. And that he looked _really_ good in a firefight.

He was smart though, apparently. Couldn’t be CEO of a flourishing company without something to back it up, right? At least as smart as Rhys himself, the omega generously thought. 

The younger man had managed to hack the parental controls Jack had enabled on the tablet, and he’d been devouring the content available on the echonet like a hungry man food.

He'd already tried to contact someone-- _anyone_ \- back home, but it was just too far out and the tablet didn't have the capabilities or authority to do what Rhys wanted. He wondered if his uncle had sent out an alert that he was missing. He’d spent two weeks in that crate, according to Jack, but he wasn’t able to find out any information regarding Crius or its neighboring system. He knew where he was now at least, and that the planet they were hovering over was huge and violent and highly uncivilized. A far cry from Crius indeed.

He’d had no idea Hyperion was as big a deal as his reading informed him. They just weren’t a common name back home. 

His uncle always pressed the importance of driving the other two companies on Crius under; cementing Atlas’ rule of the needs of the planet and ensuring their family’s legacy. That alone had seemed like a decent goal, but compared to Hyperion, it made Rhys want to laugh. The galaxy was a _lot_ bigger than the omega had comprehended. Especially in terms of what was able to be accomplished. It gave him a lot to think about, not all of it pleasant.

He might have ended up in the weird part of the echonet when he’d moved from biopics and technical information about Hyperion to fan clubs devoted to Jack, Jack’s style, Jack’s latest conquests, etc. Reading some of the comment threads had him shocked to discover that there could be any ounce of truth to the things Jack had been telling him:

Everyone was gagging for the man’s dick-- alpha, beta, and omega alike. The things people posted, gossiped about, and excitedly argued was enough to turn Rhys’ face red. It was worse when he found himself agreeing with opinions regarding Jack’s performance in several of the biopics. ‘Hero’ didn’t quite capture the full sense of what those biopics inspired, but he wasn’t about to admit to himself anything more than a begrudging admiration for the powerful alpha he’d met.

Suffice it to say, Rhys didn’t actually fall asleep until very late, and he jolted off the bed when the voice he might’ve been dreaming of told him to rise and shine. 

The omega ended up on the floor as Jack’s unrepentant snickers met his ears.

The alpha smirked down at the red-rimmed, bleary-eyed omega squinting at him from the other side of the bed. “Come on pumpkin, wakey wakey! We’ve got a busy day!”

“....what?”

“Your job starts today, princess! What? Thought I’d leave you alone to your own devices in my super-cool extra-personal penthouse? Not a chance, pumpkin. I've got a couple meetings to drag you to. Do the whole ‘devoted partner’ bit. Hope you’re a good actor. Not that it’s that hard to fall in love with me, ha!”

Rhys sat there a few moments longer trying to comprehend things as the alpha disappeared from the room. The omega was wondering if he was still asleep when Jack came back and flung clothes his way. Rhys yelped as a pair of pants hit him in the face, and he heard Jack’s impatient, too-awake huff. 

“Come _oooon_ cupcake, get a move on. Up and at ‘em! O-Oh shit, don't tell me... You're useless without coffee, am I right? _That’s_ something I can sympathize with. One sec, sugar.”

The fluidity with which the alpha moved made the omega wonder just how much coffee the older man had already drank prior to waking him, but he couldn't lie that coffee sounded heavenly. And if the older man was being generous about shoving caffeine down his throat, he was only too happy to accept. He already missed his espresso machine back home.

When Jack appeared again with a yellow mug and a bit too-chipper of a grin, Rhys only watched as he set it down, looking back at the omega expectantly. The younger man moved slowly across the room to retrieve it while Jack rolled his eyes at his wariness.

It was good. _Really_ good. Too sweet and creamy as hell but right now he was grateful for any caffeine delivery system. The hot liquid coated his stomach and helped to wake him up a bit as his body warmed.

The older man watched him with a pleased expression, brain clearly overclocked even though it was still early. 

Jack was still in his pajamas-- a threadbare yellow shirt and black shorts with a blue cotton robe thrown over for good measure. For all his chipper demands to get up, it was clear there was no hurry. They weren’t late anywhere.

The omega drank the coffee without trying to ruminate too hard on just how freaking weird this all was-- about even _being_ here- and how he just wanted to get back home. The older man watched him as if trying to figure something out, but Rhys just drank the coffee without input.

“Sooo… think you can manage not to knife me in the back while I make pancakes, pumpkin?” Jack asked. “Might not get to lunch until late and I don’t want you keeling over on me.”

Rhys’ stomach gurgled loudly at the prospect, and it got a grin from the older man even as the omega’s cheeks heated. “...I’ll try.”

Jack chuckled. “That's the spirit. Now hurry the shit up and get dressed or shower or jerk off or whatever the hell it is you do in the morning. We're out of here in an hour.”

Rhys wondered what the hell it said about him that he was just going along with all of this. Probably better not to think on that, and _especially_ not to think on the alpha’s biopics. He showered and dressed quickly before skulking back into the main hub of the penthouse to sit at a kitchen bar while the alpha cooked and told him to have more coffee.

Rhys more or less nervously shoveled food into his mouth while Jack wasn’t looking, though the alpha didn’t comment on how quick his meal disappeared from the plate in the time his back had been turned. He just stuck more pancakes from the pan onto Rhys’ plate with a smirk and kept chugging coffee like his life depended on it.

\--

Rhys felt the pancakes sitting like cement in his stomach, wishing he’d eaten slower and maybe less had he known Jack was such a brisk walker. 

His pockets held a comm with the CEO’s number programmed in, and loaded with several games in case he got bored. Rhys wasn’t given too much instruction aside from being his devoted little mate and to act all starry-eyed for the alpha-- a feat Jack swore would be a piece of cake. There were two types of people, Jack affirmed: ones who were in love with him, and ones who hadn’t met him yet.

Rhys frowned, definitely _not_ thinking about all the things he’d read and seen about the alpha on the echonet. This alpha that people went back and forth discussing knot-size and what they’d let Jack do to them if they ever got the chance. No, he didn’t think of _them_ at all. “Isn’t it weird if you suddenly have this mate that no one has ever heard of or seen you with before?”

Jack sighed dramatically. “Look, you just need to look pretty, okay? Don't need to talk to anyone or say anything or make any friends, kiddo,” Jack informed seriously, a thoughtful look on his face. “Anyone gives you shit though, you let me know. It's always good to start the day off with an airlocking.”

It took Rhys by surprise when Jack had linked their arms outside the first of many meetings for the day, and Rhys stayed stiffly where he was before the older man tugged him into the room with him.

“Ah, you’re all still here! Great! Love to see devotion in my employees!” Jack announced to the department members sitting in a round semi-circle of desks. “Even--” Jack checked his watch, “hooo, an _hour_ late? Wow. That’s my fault though. Can't keep my hands off this pretty young thing.” He gave Rhys’ ass a smack that startled the omega, turning on Jack with a red-faced glare. “Wait outside for me huh babe? This will just take a sec.” He was still shell-shocked from the ass smack, so he didn’t have time to process the chaste kiss Jack pressed to his cheek as he ushered him from the room with a pompous laugh.

Rhys stood there like an idiot after the doors closed, face burning. There were a million different reactions he wanted to have at the moment and he couldn’t settle on one. 

His ass stung, his heart wanted to leap out of his chest, and he was ridiculously aware of the place Jack had kissed him. 

Was this what he'd signed on for? What the hell was he doing? 

He needed answers. He needed to get out of here, _not_ play mail-order bride to Hyperion’s CEO. He needed to get back home. He had work to do and projects to finish and prototypes to test.

The doors were closed. Jack had sent him out. He _could_ make a break for it.

To where? And to what end? Jack thought it was an inside job back home, and Rhys still didn’t know exactly which way was up, so to speak. Until he could contact his uncle about some inside espionage and work on a ride back home with extra security, he'd just have to sit tight. God though, this wasn’t going to be easy.

The omega let a breath loose, allowing his tense shoulders to relax as he was left alone in the hall. 

It felt good to be out from the alpha’s presence a moment. Jack was a _force_. It felt like he was breathing deep for the first time since meeting the man; out from under his big personality and the rich, musky alpha scent that encompassed him even now, as if the man had him in a bear hug. It was the CEO’s clothes on his frame, he knew. He must smell like Jack had been all over him. Man, what those people on the echonet would _do_ to be in his place. 

What they’d _actually_ do...

Rhys shook his head with a little thrill up his back as if trying to banish such thoughts, face staying red for other reasons.

The doors opened about twenty minutes later and Jack came through like he owned the place-- though Rhys supposed he did. Those biopics had been _very_ informational. Anyone who fought off Dahl-- even Rhys knew about Dahl- could walk around like the king.

….It would be nice if Jack didn’t act like he was fully aware of the fact though.

“Heya cupcake. New high score?” the CEO asked of the echocomm in Rhys’ hand. 

The omega nodded before he noticed a body on the floor in the room, the younger man’s eyes widening in shock as Jack linked arms with him once more.

“I-is that-- Is that--”

“What?” Jack looked over his shoulder. “Randall? Regis? Ah, I don’t remember that guy’s name. Yeah, been meaning to fire him for a while now. Been dragging down the department for some time,” the CEO said casually, pulling Rhys along as the omega still gaped at the room behind him. People left it giving him curious, cursory glances, but no one seemed concerned about the corpse in the room. Jack had approved their budget request after all, so business as usual.

“Did-- did you--”

The alpha quirked an eyebrow at the stuttering omega, catching on. “Don't tell me this is the first time you've seen a dead body, kiddo. If I’d have known it was your first time, I’d have made it special.” Jack winked at him and Rhys grimaced.

“No, it's not,” the younger man replied with an uncomfortable shiver. “But I mean--” 

He was struggling for words. Jack was so calm next to him, carrying on like nothing had happened. The alpha patted his forearm with his other hand as he ushered him past doors and offices and equally excited-and-scared employees jumping out of their way. 

“Yeah, I know, a bullet would have been faster. But hey, I'm old fashioned, I still appreciate the old hands-on approach to my work.” Jack laughed and it drove a bit more belief for those biopics into the omega’s head. Maybe Jack _had_ actually strangled his old boss to get his current position. Violence among alphas though, it shouldn’t have shocked him too much that this was how Hyperion operated.

Said hands were currently linked with Rhys’ arm, patting him a bit condescendingly with a wink for the younger man. Rhys only frowned in response, looking at the older man’s fingers on his arm. “Is that how Hyperion handles termination?”

Jack snorted. “No, only especial fuck-ups get the executive treatment. As if I have time all day to personally supervise these peons… friggin’ idiots… Most days their coworkers will usually take care of ‘em. Bless the natural order and all that.” Jack looked up in piety, but there was nothing divine about a knife in the back from a coworker.

“That’s… not exactly what I meant,” the omega started. “You kill the people you fire?”

Jack stopped, huffing through his nose as he released the younger man to look at him properly. Rhys crossed his arms as the alpha considered him, hands on his hips. “Pumpkin, you're pretty okay, I'll give you that, but just how the hell do you get things done in the backwoods of the universe? Where’s that drive and ambition?”

“Well we don't just murder our employees when they mess up.” Jack scoffed and Rhys rolled his eyes at the brushoff. 

“Affecting the bottom line isn’t just _messing up_ , Rhysie. Hyperion is one of the big boys, remember? And I’m the biggest boy around.” The CEO smirked as Rhys’ frown deepened. “His little screw ups have been costing Hyperion in a day what your little company probably makes in a year. Don’t even give me some moral high-ground BS. You’ll never get that project off the ground if you don’t take it seriously, sugar. A little corporate homicide is good for morale. Try it and you might make it one day.”

The omega bristled at his dismissal. Atlas wasn’t big, no, but Rhys had plans to expand things. ...Some day. He hoped sooner rather than later what with that unimpressed look the CEO was giving him. He felt the need to prove himself.

“I’ll have you know that Atlas is the major manufacturer of six out of ten products in every home on Crius and we’re working hard to make that seven,” Rhys asserted proudly, and was rewarded with a silent look of genuine surprise. Good. “That’s _without_ excess employees to justify your brand of ‘termination’, Jack. Everyone does their part.”

The CEO laughed. “I keep forgetting how small your little hobby is.”

“We’re doing well, thank you,” the omega told him haughtily. Jack was an asshole, no doubt about that, but the alpha didn’t seem affected by his frowns and annoyance. Everything was a big joke to the older man, and in comparing their situations, he didn’t want to admit that maybe Jack was right. Atlas wasn’t at that stage yet though, so Jack could keep his damn snide comments to himself. Rhys huffed. “You _are_ paying me for… _this_ , right?”

“Yeah about that, we’ve got places to be, _sweetheart_.” The alpha wrapped his arm back around the omega’s and took up their route yet again, laughing and teasing about Rhys’ ‘delicate sensibilities’ and giving Atlas employees a firm spanking instead. 

When Rhys reminded him that his arm worked as a shiv in a pinch, Jack’s laughs tapered to silent amusement, and he kept a bit of a closer eye on the younger man.

\--

Rhys had a nice new wardrobe by the end of the day of things that actually fit him, instead of borrowing the big alpha’s clothes. Jack told him to consider it part of his pay package as the alpha was sufficiently satisfied with the younger man’s performance.

“I didn’t even do anything,” the omega told him as he sat on the opposite end of the couch as Jack. They ate take-out from containers, and though Rhys had been on Jack’s arm all day in public, he kept his distance in private.

“Oh buttercup, you have no idea,” the older man said in pleasure, dipping a breadstick in sauce before shoving half of it in his mouth. “Th’se ga’s? SHUPA jellus-”

“I cannot understand a word you are saying.”

Jack rolled his eyes all dramatically before he finished chewing and swallowing. “I _said_ , those guys were _super_ jealous, kiddo.”

Rhys hated to admit he was curious. “What guys?”

“That fancy fish place we ate at for lunch? I was waiting for one of the waiters to spill wine on you or accidentally set you on fire.” The alpha sounded way more pleased than anyone should delivering such news. It made the omega cringe. “If they could have figured out a way to stick a knife in your back when I wasn’t looking, they would’ve.”

Rhys’ eyes suddenly went wide. “Is _that_ why you didn’t let me use the damn restroom when we were leaving??”

“Couldn’t rule out an ‘accident’ happening.” Jack was absolutely pleased as punch, taking another piece of pizza for himself as Rhys sat largely ignoring his own food. “Hung you up by your tie, slip and fall in an unfortunate spill… They looked like a creative bunch.”

The glee was unnecessary, Rhys thought. But he was serving Jack’s purpose, it seemed. He’d _thought_ the staff had gotten more curt after Jack had grasped his hand across the table. It had made Rhys’ cheeks heat as he’d complied, and the way Jack had stroked his thumb over the back of Rhys’ hand with a pleased grin on his face had the omega’s stomach doing awful somersaults. Total dick or not-- _act_ or not- Jack was an attractive man. It was hard to keep his cool with that. Especially after watching all those biopics.

“Am I going to have a target on my back now?” Rhys asked with a bit more force than necessary to cover up the blush returning to his cheeks.

“Ooooh I wouldn’t go anywhere without me by the end of the week, kiddo,” Jack chuckled. “You’re working out better than I ever could have hoped. Didn’t think I’d need to keep an eye on you after the first day.”

Rhys made a little disturbed sound at that that only had the alpha chuckling even more. He did not need this right now, on top of everything else. He’d already essentially been kidnapped, and now random strangers wanted his blood? No. Nope. He didn’t need this at _all_.

“You have any fighting experience, kiddo?” Rhys’ lips were a thin line as he looked at Jack, unimpressed. “Right, yeah, if your stabby little presentation was it, that’s not gonna do us any good.” The older man grabbed more pizza before relaxing into the couch cushions. “You’re gonna be here for the next two weeks at least, buttercup.” Rhys acknowledged _that_ , but Jack stopped him before he could interject. “Alpha-Omega Solutions is sending me a replacement, but if it took two weeks for _you_ to get here, then that’s that. We just have to wait.”

“And what about _my_ problems, Jack?”

“Huh? The target on your back? I was thinking you just stick close and--”

Rhys’ voice was full of exasperation, sitting taut and alert while the older man was sprawled and comfortable. “I’m _talking_ about me even being here in the first place!” 

Jack rolled his eyes. “You’ve been playing around on that tablet I gave you, right?” 

“What’s that have to--”

“You know how far out we are. And Crius isn’t exactly a hub of geniuses, kitten--”

“We’re getting there!” the omega adamantly interrupted, insult to injury. 

“Dammit, don’t interrupt me, you’ll throw my train of thought off it’s tracks! Agh, what was I getting at? ...ah yeah. Your planet: it’s small. It’s waaaaay out there. It isn’t connected to things like other Hyperion planets.” He muttered under his breath about how that was the only reason Rhys must not have heard of him before. The younger man growled at him, and Jack snapped his attention back to the omega. “I don’t _have_ anyone that’s that far out to find out exactly what the _hell_ you’re doing here eating pizza with me on my couch, okay? You’re stuck with me for the next two weeks, princess. Try to enjoy it.”

Rhys felt dejected, the growls dying in his throat. Everything was completely out of his hands and he didn’t like it. He hated not knowing what was happening back home. Not knowing how he’d gotten there. And he hated being stuck with the smirking face of Handsome Jack looking no less pleased for the fact. “For having as many resources as you say, that seems like a damn long time, Jack.”

“For my replacement, yeah. For your little problem, pumpkin? Getting information is gonna take a while, but I _can_ get it. Just be patient, hm?” Rhys snorted at him, and Jack rolled his eyes, his voice now dripping with sarcasm. “No no, do whatever you want, you don’t have to listen to me. Go on back after I get my replacement, get murdered in your bed by those coworkers you love so much, don’t listen to Jack at all. All that fun stuff, the universe goes on making me rich while your company flounders, yada yada.”

Rhys had nothing to say to that, knowing Jack had a point and hating it. The alpha seemed satisfied that he’d taken the wind out of Rhys’ sails, and smirked as he reached for another piece of pizza. 

Rhys took the last slice more out of spite than hunger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack is the kind of person who likes pineapple on his pizza pass it on.
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a few multi-chapter fics i'm working on at once (and trying to get some fallout fics up asap) but I'll be aiming for weekly updates on this (let's say sundays; _however_ so far i've been updating this fic about every four days) but let's shoot for around every 4-7 days :)
> 
> I appreciate the shit out of the comments! :D Also, I like pineapple on pizza. Ya'll come talk to me when you've had the weird shit japan puts on their pizza THEN still tell me pineapple is weird. Corn and mayo and chunks of whatever the fuck is NOT pizza D:<

It took Rhys a while to stop being startled by Jack’s handsiness-- which he thought was only for show out in public. 

But no, the alpha was a very hands-on person, and it would have made him nervous if not for how much Jack touched the scientists and underlings and security and pretty much whoever he was talking to. Rhys wasn’t sure if it was a move in part to assert his dominance in things, or if it was just a Jack thing, but it didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would. 

...Even after watching Jack strangle someone that had frankly been trying _Rhys’_ patience at that point; an alpha making excuses as to why his department hadn't started work on one of the approved projects they'd been given a month ago. Trying to play off his ignorance of the disappearance of the budget funds and the coincidence of some very expensive personal expenditures. 

“Buddy, pal, I get it, I do,” Jack had started in commiseration as he'd risen from his desk, as graceful as any predator Rhys had ever seen. “One alpha to another, I _totally_ get how those dummies working under you can try to pull a fast one and make you look stupid. It sucks, am I right? Unprofessional and stuff.”

Rhys watched without warning the man as Jack slowly moved around his desk and down to the other alpha, Rhys knowing well what happened to those that cost Hyperion money. The omega sat up straighter on the office’s big couch he had claimed for his own use, waiting for Jack to strike. 

The other alpha had no idea it was coming, babbling on and on.

“Yes sir, it's frustrating that they'd do this and lie right to my face! I should see they're terminated at once!” the other man affirmed. Rhys rolled his eyes at that.

“See, I like you, Jerry--”

“Jimmy.”

“ _Jimmy_.” The CEO placed a hand on the other alpha’s shoulder, standing directly in front of him. “See, I like you. You _do_ get it, don't you?” 

He moved both hands to the other alpha’s neck, the man’s eyes widening in fear as he realized what was happening-- _or about to happen_ \- to him. 

“What you _don't_ seem to get is that it's idiots like _you_ that give embezzling a bad name.” Jack’s hands squeezed hard as the other alpha tried to free himself, now fighting for his life as Jack snarled at him, throwing his body weight behind his arms. “ _Ten million frickin’ dollars for gold plated office furniture?!_ Were you born stupid _and_ tacky?”

The man was on the floor and Jack was over him squeezing the life right out of him. Rhys watched, both horrified and morbidly fascinated, as the man’s face turned different colors. 

“A golden toilet I could understand, but _you_ ,” Jack laughed humorlessly, shaking his head as he wrung the life out of the other man, “ohoho _Jimmy_ , you just flushed your whole career down the drain on _office furniture_ instead.”

There was a crunch where the man below Jack made a final wheezing sound before his body stopped jerking under the CEO, and Jack made a disgusted sound as he climbed off him. What a waste of his time. 

The alpha got to his feet and ran a hand through his hair with a huff, turning to face Rhys as a smile broke onto his face. “And that's how you take care of problems on the big boy level, Rhysie. Hope you're taking notes.”

The CEO smirked and said something about working up an appetite that Rhys wasn't paying attention to. Jack offered Rhys his hand up from the couch as the omega still stared at the body, then turned his gaze to Jack’s hand. 

Yes, the older man was violent and dangerous and liked to make things personal, but the alpha’s hands were gentle with him. An easy touch at his elbow or a firm hand on his waist, and Rhys was sure he could deal with the alpha’s handsiness without a problem. 

Except for those smacks to his ass that Rhys warned was gonna get Jack bitten, and only made the CEO laugh.

He was starting to fully believe the things about Jack’s violence from the biopics now. But no, it wasn't entirely hard to seem enthralled by the man in public. 

A few meals out together was on the daily roster. See and be seen. Establish that Jack was steadily seeing someone and didn’t have eyes for anyone else. 

As far as a ‘prisoner’ situation went, it was pretty fancy, and Rhys found he could tolerate and probably even enjoy being away from home for the two weeks or whatever Jack claimed would take to get him answers.

He was eating fancy food every night and drinking things that cost more than the last budget request at Atlas. It wasn't hard to walk with the alpha and hang around for meetings for such luxuries, and while Jack could be an asshole, he wasn't treating him badly at all, considered. Even when he joked about jealous eyes on Rhys’ back, or gleefully pointed out near ‘accidents’ with Rhys’ name on it had Jack not linked arms with his or steered him certain ways. 

It hadn’t even been a week, but it seemed like the ‘mystery omega’ seen with the CEO was already being rumored as Jack’s pick for mate. Not necessarily good for Rhys, but great for Jack.

Not everyone seemed to get the message that Jack was off the market, though.

“That… was awful.”

Jack just grunted in agreement.

“My nose hurts.”

“Yup.”

“There were at least _three_ , Jack. _Three_.”

“I wasn’t exaggerating, buttercup.”

“Yeah… yeah I get that.” Oh, he got it now. 

All Jack’s whining and complaining about omegas practically throwing themselves at the man all turned out to be true, and Rhys was almost more shocked at that than the audacity of the omegas themselves. 

What self-respecting omega would _actually_ be at work during a heat? Or even take such a chance with how strong they smelled? It wasn't just stupid and dangerous for them, but equally distracting to other omegas with sensitive noses. _And_ the alphas they might work alongside. 

Just having to deal with the bodily effects was annoying, let alone annoying other omegas or arousing other alphas trying to work. Heat-leave was a thing, Jack promised, and mandatory, though when brought in for administrative discipline, no one could _prove_ the omegas in question had induced a heat, or had even known they were going to go into heat when Handsome Jack himself would be present. Couldn’t technically blame them, couldn’t discipline them for a natural bodily function. 

It was hell, Jack had said, and reiterated the fact numerous times during the day.

Rhys had shyly tried not to eye the hardon the older man had sported all the way back to his office. Interested or not, Jack’s body wasn’t unaffected by the dirty tricks those omegas resorted to, and the way Jack had to keep adjusting himself was distracting to the younger man. If Jack noticed his pink cheeks, he didn’t say anything.

It had to be exhausting as hell for an omega to be out through this, to even put themselves through that just to try and get Jack’s attention. Rhys was just annoyed mainly as it made him anxious for these unknown omegas’ safety. It didn't affect him bodily the same way it did Jack, but it was an inconvenience all the same.

There had been three separate in-heat omegas, each trying to vy for the alpha’s attention, getting too close until Rhys himself growled at them out of frustration. Jack might’ve pitched quite a hefty tent, but the older man was annoyed by it all and ignored the advances, refusing to touch them, as he demanded reports and the results from tests and simulations. 

Rhys was sure he imagined what was a grateful look in the older man’s eyes as the omega kept a good buffer between himself and the in-heat omegas. _One_ wouldn’t have been _too_ strong, especially if it was the first day, but _three_. Rhys had never experienced such a thing in his life. If they got too close to him or Jack, a low growl and a glare aimed their way had them quickly remembering themselves and backing off.

Rhys was almost nauseated from it by the end of the day.

Their scents permeated every inch of his nostrils. It made him immensely uncomfortable for them, which only served to make _him_ uncomfortable. His instincts kept telling him those omegas should be at _home, safe_. That they were in danger, there was an alpha _not theirs_ in the room. It annoyed him and grated on his nerves, completely on edge. The only thing that could have made it worse was if there had been more alphas than just Jack. 

Apparently these offenders worked primarily with betas. No wonder they were so bold.

It only made Rhys growl to himself dwelling on it longer.

“I’m washing their stink off me,” Rhys announced with disgust as they returned to Jack’s penthouse. The heat-smell was still thick in his nostrils, tension along his back as he was still uncomfortable. He wanted the scent _gone._

“Is that an invitation?” Jack asked as he waggled his brows. He put up his hands in surrender to the unamused glower Rhys sent his way. “Fine, whatever. Don't think I'll be letting you use _my_ cool shower now, cupcake.”

Rhys just rolled his eyes at Jack’s words and scrubbed every inch of himself in the small bathroom in the room he'd been using since being deposited there. No amount of soap was too much.

He rejoined Jack later with one of the soft t-shirts Jack had bought him pulled over his damp head, with bottoms to match. The alpha was on his comm with someone, sitting on the couch and looking into a tablet as he was giving someone a good threatening. He ignored Rhys as the omega walked through the room and into the kitchen.

Rhys knew he was clean, but he still couldn’t get the scent completely from his nose. It left him feeling uncomfortable and twitchy in ways no amount of lavender and jasmine could wash away. He'd never smelled so many in-heat omegas in one place before, and he hoped he never would again.

He was too busy raiding Jack’s snacks to notice the alpha had ended his call, and was coming up behind him to take a big inhale of his scent. Rhys jumped a little in surprise, Jack’s nose flat against his neck as he dropped the pilfered snacks in his arms.

“ _Ever hear of personal space?_ ” Rhys squeaked out, scrunching his shoulders up to protect his neck.

“That's much better,” Jack reported with a satisfied grin as Rhys stared back at him wide-eyed and blushing like crazy. The younger man didn’t even care. “Thought that stink from the other omegas would've seeped in.”

Rhys bit his lip at that, completely ignoring the heat in his cheeks as Jack looked him up and down. “It’s still in my nose though.”

“Again, welcome to my world, kiddo.” Jack laughed and flicked a long wet piece of hair in front of Rhys’ face. He looked down the omega’s body again, and if Rhys blushed any harder he’d turn into a tomato. It was cute as hell. “You got other plans for dinner or what?”

Rhys stared at him blankly for a few moments before he realized what Jack was talking about. Jack had been looking at the snacks he'd dropped, not _him_. Of course. Duh. He felt stupidly aware of his hot cheeks. “I-I was just… You _said_ I could have whatever I want and frankly--”

“I’m just teasing, settle down. Eat whatever the hell you want, I'm _rich_.” The alpha snorted at Rhys’ expense. “Damn, they must have rattled you good.” 

“ _You_ rattled me.”

That was the wrong thing to say. Jack’s face lit up in a grin. “I rattle you, huh? In what ways baby?” Rhys’ face turned red as he glared and Jack just chuckled and backed off, his tone turning offended. “If looks could kill…”

Rhys definitely didn't pout at the accusation, and he only crossed his arms because it was suddenly cold. Jack only laughed in further amusement, looking at the floor of spilled snacks and asking if he'd rather have _real_ food from that pizza place. Rhys stubbornly told him both.

They ate takeout on the containers they arrived in. Jack bitched about the bread being soggy this time and how he could make a better sauce in his sleep but he was too damn tired to bother cooking; that he should get a raise for having to put up with the shit his employees did.

“You’re already CEO,” Rhys pointed out without sympathy. “You don’t need a raise.”

“Oh yeah.” He got up. “I deserve a beer at the very least, though. What about you, kiddo?”

Rhys was going to refuse just on principle, but there was no other teasing or anything forthcoming. Just a slightly amused smile on the older man's face as he awaited an answer. Rhys supposed he could accept the olive branch Jack was offering. 

“Yeah. Beer sounds good.”

\--

“So, your little company has an embargo on Hyperion goods. I gotta ask, what's up with that, kitten? Not that Crius even has a potential market _worth_ expanding into but if you wanted to grab me by the knot that's not the way I'd go.” 

Jack waited for any sign of amusement at his banter from Rhys, but the omega just gave him a tight-lipped frown.

“Get it Rhysie? Grab it by the knot? ‘Cause you guys won't let us play with--”

“I _get it_ , Jack.” Rhys huffed impatiently where he sat in the CEO’s office, the older man swivelling back and forth in his chair as he looked down at a tablet in his lap. “Is this the ‘super important’ information you had for me? Because it doesn’t exactly have to do with how I got here,” Rhys growled out pointedly.

“No. But it _is_ weird.” Rhys was visibly frustrated as Jack willfully ignored his plight, his priorities all over the place and completely out of whack as far as the omega was concerned. Jack kept on with his dressing-down of Crius. “With the population of the entire _planet_ from the last couple of years, there really isn't a point in trying to get us in on that planet, but it's weird not to have _any_ Hyperion tech, kiddo. I’m kind of a big deal.”

Jack gave him a considering look, thinking deeply about whatever went on in that scatterbrained mind while Rhys inwardly worried. 

Jack had a point. It _was_ weird that there wasn't Hyperion tech there, or even any mention of Jack. What with how the alpha’s face was literally on _everything_ , from pens to vending machines, and even _condoms_ if those echonet groups were to be believed. The things with Jack’s face-- or _likeness,_ to use the word _extremely_ liberally- had made Rhys blush as he’d learned from those threads and posts on Jack’s echonet fan base.

He’d sooner endure torture than admit what he’d learned and from _where,_ though.

“What did you have to tell me anyways?”

“Huh? Oh, _right._ Yeah, so, Alpha-Omega Solutions got back to me, and they’re slower than shit even after their fuckup, so make yourself comfortable pumpkin, you’re gonna be here a while.”

The smile on Jack’s face didn’t make Rhys believe for a second that Jack was sorry about the inconvenience, and he lowly growled, more out of general frustration than just the alpha's glee.

“Just how long _now?”_

“Wow, act like you want to leave why don’t you. Way to make a guy feel wanted. I thought we were becoming fast friends here, Rhysie. I know _I’d_ miss _you_ \--”

“Jack. _Please_ ,” Rhys ground out, his patience thinning. 

The alpha smirked, knowing his fun was over unless he wanted to make the omega genuinely mad. “Just an extra week, sweetheart. And if they _don’t_ deliver by then, well, me and you will go pay a visit to their corner of the galaxy and blow everyone to rubble. How’s that sound?”

“Good, if I thought for a second you were being serious,” the omega pouted.

“Pumpkin, I’m always serious.” Jack’s grin was a bit more tamed as he leaned forward. “Really though, they _are_ trying my patience. I already _implied_ I would be very _displeased_ if they don’t hurry the hell up.” The alpha offered the omega a smile as Rhys’ pout didn’t lessen. “You wanna see the message, kitten? I got _really_ creative with where I told them I’d stick the first grenade. Hint: it’s not as obvious as you might think.”

Rhys’ lips quirked slightly upwards despite himself, the CEO’s creativity regarding threats he’d probably follow through on something that he didn’t particularly need to have nightmares about. “I think I’ll pass, Jack.”

“Fair enough, but don’t come crying to me when you finally make CEO of your own little company and can’t think up interesting ways to kill off idiots.”

The omega smirked at that. From the little time he’d spent in Jack’s company, he had more than enough material to work with until he reached the alpha’s age. Not that he thought he’d even have a _need_ to murder his employees when he finally took over as head of Atlas.

“Hey, so here’s a question kiddo: what does Atlas even _make?”_

“What?”

“Atlas. What does it do? Do you guys- You guys make like toys for the kiddos or something? Novelty toilet paper with your face on it? Ha, that would be _hilarious.”_

Rhys shot a dirty look his way but it didn't move the self-amused expression on the older man's face. “We do a lot of different things. We have six--”

“Yeah yeah, ‘six out of every ten products in every home’ blah blah blah you said that already. But what's the money maker, cupcake? Break it down simple.”

Atlas made up so much of his daily life that it was hard for Rhys to pigeonhole it. He turned the question back on Jack. “Well what does Hyperion primarily-”

“Guns. _Weapons_. Cool explode-y shooty stuff.” He gave Rhys another considering look, eyes settling on his cybernetic arm. “Atlas built that arm of yours, kitten?”

“What? No. No, I built it.”

“Really?” Jack’s voice was genuinely surprised at that. He got up to come inspect the younger man. The omega jerked his arm away as Jack made a grab for it. The older man rolled his eyes. “Lemme see. I have more to fear from your arm than it does _me_ , Stabby McStab-arms.”

That actually got a snort out of Rhys, and he allowed Jack to get up and personal with his arm as he sat while the CEO stood. The older man turned his hand this way and that, inspecting the delicate work of his joints.

“Does it detach?”

“I’ve had a few that used to, but they were clumsy. I had this one grafted on after I was done growing.”

Jack frowned and looked up at him, more information than he’d intended to reveal in that sentence. “Born this way?”

“No.”

There were no other details forthcoming, though Jack watched him for a while before he decided not to press the matter. 

Jack eventually took a seat at Rhys' right as he became more interested in the arm. He made him roll up his sleeve to get a proper look at things before he badgered the younger man into removing his shirt so he could really see. Rhys was close to biting Jack’s prodding finger when he told him to let _him_ do it, dammit, or the showcase was over.

For Jack though, the show had just started, and _damn_ he was _not_ expecting to be as bothered as he was by the younger man removing his upper layers. 

Yes, the alpha had already seen him when Nurse Nina had checked him over, but something about being right next to the omega as he did it, careful fingers both flesh and articulated metal working black and gold buttons, was affecting the older man. Jack had to readjust his seat as Rhys shrugged out of the fancy dress shirt, leaving the white A-shirt on as he carefully folded the black shirt next to him on the couch. 

The thin straps of the undershirt showed off a generous amount of creamy skin, the blue ink from Rhys’ tattoos on his flesh arm balanced nicely with the seam where metal met skin on his right arm. Jack’s nostrils flared as he took the sight before him in, not missing a beat as Rhys turned from his folded shirt back to the CEO.

“That too,” Jack said quickly.

Rhys was about to comply, hands at the waist of his pants for his tucked shirt, but paused, something about the way the alpha was watching him, nostrils flaring, making his heart pick up speed. 

He suddenly felt extremely naked and exposed-- _vulnerable_ , not _excited_ \- he stubbornly told himself- as he gave the older man a look. The predatory smile Jack was holding back didn’t go missed by Rhys. He knew what Jack was doing. Part of him even considered playing dumb and removing the shirt to see what else the older man might try.

He kept his shirt where it was. 

“You can see it just fine, Jack.”

“I wanna get a good look at how it healed is all, pumpkin. Shirt gets in the way,” the alpha tried, his voice easy, guileless.

Rhys wasn’t buying that for a second, and if his cheeks were red then he just blamed that on indignation. “One, it’s cold in here. Two, the shirt isn’t even covering any of that. Three, it’s cold in here.”

“ _Okay okay okay_ how about this?” Jack began quickly, knowing Rhys was quickly catching on and his chances at getting that shirt off were decreasing exponentially. “Take it off, let me look, and if you get cold, I’ll warm you up, kitten.”

Rhys’ cheeks were burning before he turned back and grabbed for his shirt. Jack’s hand went to his cybernetic arm to turn him back towards the CEO.

“Just kidding babe _just kidding!_ Don’t put it back on. _Geez_.” Jack was rolling his eyes as Rhys turned back to him with a frowny pout. Damn, those lips should be illegal. “I mean if you wanted though…”

“I’m getting dressed, Jack.”

“Dammit, fuck, okay, you win kiddo! You win!” Jack admitted as he threw his hands up in the air in defeat. “Got Handsome Jack by the knot here--”

“Don’t _even_ start, Jack.”

The older man grumbled to himself about dick jokes while Rhys still considered putting his shirt back on as his heart hammered away in his chest. His shirt was in his lap as Jack stopped him again, moving his cybernetic arm from _his_ lap to Jack’s own to look at it.

“I still wanna see okay? No funny business. Show me this shit.”

Rhys watched the alpha for another few moments before accepting that the older man was genuinely interested, and turned his arm so his palm faced Jack. “Okay then. What do you want to know?”

The alpha surprised him in actually asking a series of technical questions. The CEO knew what he was talking about as he pointed out things and issues Hyperion tech had had that Rhys had found ways around. His arm was actually superior to some of the tech in the smaller robotics department of Helios. He laughed when Jack told him that none of theirs could double as shivs in a pinch, though they were working on weaponized prototypes. 

Jack’s fingers were warm and firm as they traced the place where metal met flesh at Rhys’ shoulder. The younger man had his lips in a firm line to keep quiet as Jack rambled on about how gnarly the scars were for such a simple procedure, and marvelled at the way it fit the omega as he was focused on inspecting the flesh married to metal.

Rhys might have made an undignified noise at what he thought Jack said when the alpha looked up at him to repeat his request. “I said open this thing up for me, sugar. I want a look inside.”

Rhys was sketchy about allowing the alpha access to the inside of the arm, and it was easy to mask his sudden flustered expression with concern. 

It would be really easy for Jack to hurt him if he didn't know what he was doing, let alone disable the arm. And Rhys was a far way from home and his tools to fix anything.

“You know I won’t hurt ya, kiddo. I know what I’m doing. Just curious, I won’t mess with it, promise.”

Rhys frowned as he studied the older man’s face. Jack was being genuine as far as he could tell. And he _did_ know what he was talking about. Jack had told him he’d been a programmer before becoming the best thing to ever happen to Hyperion. And if he _didn’t_ know what he was doing, well, Rhys’ arm _did_ come apart into sharp little pieces.

Jack snorted when Rhys removed the pieces he’d tried to stab Jack with before, and the CEO laid them next to him with a smirk. There was a tool inside his arm that he used to open the guts of it; the delicate, tiny machinery and circuits on display for the older man. 

Jack brought Rhys’ arm closer to him and the younger man recoiled with worry over the older man’s other hand. “Easy, kitten. I won't touch anything. I just want a looksee.”

True to his word, Jack didn’t do any damage, though it did make Rhys nervous. The omega relaxed considerably when Jack removed his fingers and just looked inside. 

“Shit Rhysie, you’ve hot rodded this thing huh?” Jack remarked on all the tech he recognized, as well as what he didn’t. He pointed out some empty ports inside, and Rhys decided to enlighten him to their function.

“I've been working on a neural interface for my eye.” Jack gave him a wide-eyed expression. “Make my work faster, hands-free searching. All that stuff.”

“You wanna scoop out part of your brain? _Whoooa_ kitten I take back everything I said about you being a weak little shit.”

Rhys rolled his eyes, though he still smiled at the backhanded compliment. “It would make things easier overall. I plan to connect everything with a port right about here,” he tapped at the side of his head. “And I can't see too good out of my left eye anyways, so it makes sense.”

“Old bluey there? What's wrong with your eye?”

Rhys shrugged. “It got damaged when I hit my head. Surgeries don’t do much good but with a cybernetic eye that wouldn’t even matter.”

“Head injury, huh? That why you’re all loopy?” Jack teased with a smile that made Rhys roll his eyes. “When did that happen?”

“When I was little,” Rhys supplied, and didn’t volunteer any other information while Jack continued to look at him expectantly. Rhys frowned, suddenly suspicious. “Why all the questions?”

“Geez, can't a guy be curious about you, cupcake?” Rhys rolled his eyes at the brushoff, so Jack leaned in with a new tactic and leering grin, a warm hand coming to rest on Rhys’ thigh as his fingers tapped away rhythmically. “Any other _interesting_ parts of you cybernetic, baby?”

Rhys smacked the hand there but Jack didn’t remove it, only grinning wider. The omega picked it up and deposited it in Jack’s own lap, ignoring the way his heart wanted to escape his chest through his throat, the flush on his cheeks that no doubt went all the way down his torso.

The omega was closing up his arm with the tool and muttering for Jack to give him back the side panels. The alpha was grinning, very pleased with how flustered he’d gotten the younger man, and asked if Rhys was planning on sticking him with them. 

“Only if you don’t hurry it up,” Rhys muttered back, focusing on his arm much longer than necessary in order to avoid Jack’s eyes. 

The alpha had the pieces in his hands, holding them out with a smirk as he took great amusement in Rhys’ red cheeks. Damn, that pink flush looked so pretty with that blue ink. He wondered how far down it went. Jack licked his lips subconsciously as he thought about running his tongue over it, but realized the omega _would_ probably stab him before that happened. 

Still fun to think about though. 

“How you gonna stab me if I don’t give you the pieces in the first place, kitten?” Jack asked with a laugh.

Rhys gave him a look point-blank, meeting the CEO’s mismatched eyes with his own in a challenge even though his face was in absolute flames. “You want to find out?”

Jack cackled, several dirty jokes and puns on his mind, but held his tongue as he passed the pieces back to Rhys. He was sure he could find opportunity to use his jokes another time anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack, you're an awful flirt. 
> 
> As in you're shit at it. Step it up.
> 
> ...Jack is so damn lucky rhys happens to have a sick curiosity with those echonet fan clubs.
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have cheated and recycled a couple ideas from way older one-shot fics I wrote. A+ if anything sounds familiar AHAHA i am a lazy lazy writer >_> Promise it's still engaging though hahaha

“I don’t understand why you need a gun that can shoot literally _everything_ out of it, Jack. That doesn’t seem at all practical.”

The older man snorted as they made their way down to R&D, giving Rhys a squeeze as they walked hand in hand. 

One and a half weeks from the day he’d been uncrated, and Rhys never would have thought he’d just accept walking hand in hand with the most powerful man this side of the universe like it was just a common occurrence. 

Jack had pitched a fit the last time Rhys had raised question with reddened cheeks on why linked arms alone wasn't sufficient anymore. Not that Jack was squeezing his hand or hurting him in any way, but it was awfully _intimate_ for the younger man, and he didn’t want to admit that he was _still_ thinking about that look in Jack’s eyes when he’d let him inspect his arm days prior. 

Holding hands had kept Rhys’ face eternally red, and Jack liked to whisper in his ear and tease him about it which only fed his blush. The employees the CEO did it in front of probably thought the alpha was whispering sweet nothings into his ear, when in fact the older man was being a little shit.

“ _Any redder and people will think I’m into tomatoes.” “Hey my coffee got cold, can I warm it on your face?” “Hey Rhysie, just remembered: forgot to wash my hands in the bathroom! Haha nah, but could you imagine?”_ And Rhys’ personal favorite: _“Now you’re weirding me out here, kiddo… Nah, just kidding! Ha you’re turning redder!”_

He’d thankfully _stopped_ turning so red after he gave Jack the cybernetic-hand treatment, and was able to successfully ignore the things the alpha teased with after that. He had pretty good sensitivity in his right arm, but it still wasn’t quite the same as living flesh, and that made the whispering less effective without the combination of that warm, big hand. He was grateful for his right arm for once, and he got so used to Jack taking up his hand twenty times a day that it stopped bothering him altogether, flesh hand or otherwise.

Rhys was more annoyed than embarrassed by the fact now-- a fact which kept his face from flushing whenever Jack upped things by entwining their fingers- and the last couple days he was just accepting it as par for the course. Jack had even stopped teasing him since he got ‘boring’, shaking him off at the end of the day in mock-disgust. That only made the younger man smirk at his obvious exaggeration, and he’d started teasing the older man back by taking _his_ hand up _first._

He didn’t know if it made Jack blush or not behind that weird mask he wore, but the half-surprised, half-unreadable look was entirely worth it. It was hard to catch the alpha off-guard, and it became a fun game for him.

“You must hate Tediore weapons then,” Jack dismissed with a laugh. “Different ammo is _fun._ Reason enough.”

“Too impractical,” Rhys repeated his sentiments.

“I need to take you down to the range and show you what you’re missing,” the alpha suggested with a superior smirk. “Once you’ve melted and exploded away five targets without switching guns, you’ll see.”

Rhys rolled his eyes, but smiled at the idea. “Sure Jack.”

They entered an area marked _Bio-Lab Thirty-Three A,_ a hermetically-sealed room that Jack entered a clearance code to open. A twitchy beta technician-- and _only_ the beta- was waiting for him. Rhys let out a sigh of gratitude at the singular endotype, and Jack gave his hand a knowing squeeze before the beta began rattling off details of some latest experimental serum batch.

Jack stopped his yammering of technical details and the beta stood silently, watching the CEO carefully. “So just tell me simply, kiddo, what’s the deal with the cellular body armor? Any closer to bullet-proof soldiers or do I need to get some new blood down here?”

The tech stuttered, and Rhys gave Jack a squeeze that the older man had come to interpret as ‘stop being mean’. The alpha merely released his hand to wrap a possessive arm around his waist, and told him to “pay attention sweetheart, gotta know what daddy does for a living”. It made Rhys snort, but the beta didn’t seem to care as they quickly gathered their words.

“We’re still having some _teensy tiny_ little issues with subjects’ bodies keeping their original… _shape_ ,” the lab tech told him with trepidation.

“ _Soooo_ what? Like, whaddya mean? They can’t handle a little mutation? Bunch of babies,” Jack said with a commiserating look at Rhys. The omega crinkled his nose at the idea. He turned back to the beta. “Just give ‘em a little free plastic surgery once they’re bullet-proof, compliments of Handsome Jack. Make ‘em nice and pretty again. Heck, make ‘em even _prettier_ than before! There, just did your job for you, plus some added perks. What’s the hold up?”

The tech was obviously scared, mouth gaping and eyes wide before quickly speaking up; best to not have Jack think they were expendable after all. “Sir, it’s more a matter of _spontaneous combustion_ than vanity.” The beta quickly scrolled through their echotablet, eyes scanning quickly. “Three subjects lost to tissue necrosis, internal organ vaporization, and-- quite frankly described- _melting_. Four more with physical deformity limiting… uh… _limb_ movement… Due to lack of limbs. Another two we’re still mopping up in lab four...”

Rhys put a hand over his mouth at the report, taking a step back. “ _I-I’m_ just gonna go wait over there, Jack...”

“Don’t touch anything, kitten. You don’t know where these scientists have been,” the CEO said with a thinking frown. He turned back to the beta who had been watching Rhys’ retreating back. The tech immediately locked eyes back with the smirking alpha. Jack wasn’t at all deterred by these results. “Okay, then get some new volunteers.”

“Sir, volunteers aren’t exactly easy to come by…”

“Then get some _non_ -volunteers, dumb-dumb. I don’t care, make it happen.”

“Sir, even the ones we’ve checked bio-samples against that _want_ the treatment are unable to bond with the serum on a cellular level that doesn’t result in--”

“Melting into goo yeah yeah I get it. _Ugh,_ this is so annoying...”

“Sir, if I may, the cost and effectiveness of standard-issue kevlar is a lot more efficient--”

“But less fun.”

The beta tech stopped their thought, worry about the department’s funding as well as not being airlocked as his top priority in keeping Handsome Jack’s interest. “Well, if we upped the dosage and _weaponized_ the serum from _defensive_ to _offensive_ utilization, it may produce… _interesting_ results... on living targets...?”

Jack’s bark of laughter startled Rhys from his observation of beakers and petri dishes filled with things he didn’t want to think about, and he turned a hopeful look in the man’s direction that this little visit was over as soon as it had begun.

“Now _there’s_ an idea worth putting money behind.” The CEO clasped the tech’s shoulder with a pleased grin, the beta lost somewhere between awe and self-preservatory instincts as Jack touched him. “Get some samples ready, revise your budgetary needs, and send it to my secretary when it’s ready. Hey, does it work on Pandoran wildlife?”

“I-I can see that it does, sir!”

“Excellent! Good work. Looking forward to it. Send some down to the Wildlife Exploitation Preserve, lemme know the results. And have a little fun with it, kiddo. You know how much I like surprises.” 

Jack turned on his heel to gather up the fidgeting omega behind him, leaving a nervously-sputtering beta in their wake as they left the room. There was a flurry of excitement as they left the department, the scientists and technicians and doctors working in the lab coming out of adjoining doors and rooms to descend on the beta, relieved that the CEO had been pleased, and eager to get to work on jobs they still had.

Rhys had a grimace on his face he had yet to wipe off, and Jack commented on it with an amused smirk. 

“Lookin’ a little green there, Rhysie. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice change from red, but you’re not gonna hurk on me are ya?” 

Rhys scrunched his nose at the idea, though he actually appreciated the reassuring squeeze Jack gave him that accompanied the light tease. “People _melting_ , Jack?”

“Bio-research is a big thing these days, buttercup. Bullet-proof soldiers would be awesome. Don’t you think that’s worth a little gooification?”

“I _will_ be sick if you keep talking about that.”

“ _You_ brought it up, sweetheart.” Jack rolled his eyes at the sour look the omega gave him, and brought their entwined fingers up between them to clasp his free hand over it with encouragement. “Gonna need you to be especially strong for the next visit, pumpkin. Lots of omegas on this floor, probably gonna stink up the place.”

Rhys huffed. He did _not_ need to feel anxious and nervous over strangers on top of the queasiness from creepy science experiments. “Just where are we headed _now?”_

“The lifeblood of this company,” the alpha told him with a toothy grin. “ _Weapons.”_

\--

Rhys trailed after Jack after they’d met with the head development leads-- both thankfully alphas- pausing to look through windows and blast-proof glass at the various experiments and tests being run by their engineers on the other side.

It was truly fascinating. 

There were _living_ things down here that Rhys didn’t have names for, and that Jack assured him didn’t _need_ names since they were target practice. 

Weird snake-like tentacle things that burst from artificial, muddy ground, seizing as electrical current from a prototype grenade was lobbed at the thing. Big, bipedal, four-limbed creatures with glowing purple crystals attached to the head with some type of blinking machinery, being controlled from the other side of blast glass. Cages of something Rhys wasn’t quite sure was actually _there_ , but Jack laughed about needing infrared tech to see, and maybe Rhys _should_ look into getting a cool robot eye.

Jack dragged him away from the Pandoran wildlife with a roll of his eyes to the latest gun prototypes. He even had Rhys test something that shot more than one type of round, and grinned with self-satisfaction as the omega rolled his eyes but couldn’t keep his own grin off his face. If they spent the rest of the day on the range, it would be a day very well spent.

“ _Seeeee?_ What I tell ya? Fun right?”

“Okay, _yeah_ ,” Rhys admitted, liking the heft and weight of the gun in his hands.

“You’re a shit shot though, sweet pea,” Jack started with a smirk for his alliteration, “but that doesn’t matter with how many _this_ baby shoots off. Keep your finger on the trigger.”

The alpha handed him something else that the other alpha developer instructed him how to use, looking slyly at Jack in trying to gain favor, before asking if his omega would like moving or even _live_ targets; something a bit more fun and interesting than the broad cutouts the omega had been blowing into smithereens.

“No thanks,” Rhys told them quickly, though he beamed at the CEO, allowing the older man this victory, because he was having fun and _did_ like switching ammo mid-shoot. Even if it was impractical as hell. He gave the alpha a smirk, words and tone full of all the teasing the older man had doled out the past couple of days. “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

That got actual guffaws from the older man, real tears of amusement from his blue and green eyes as Rhys tried to bite back his grin. The surprised look on Jack’s face alone was worth it, and his incoherent stuttering between laughs was too much. He snorted as the other two alphas in the room joined in on the chuckles to curry favor with the CEO.

“Alright then Cyrano, move that tight little ass over there while the grown-ups talk death and destruction,” the alpha instructed between amused chuckles, still muttering Rhys’ own words back at him like he’d told the best joke in the world.

The omega decided to busy himself with another part of the lab as words like “ _payload”_ and “ _obliteration”_ and “ _ball-tickling firepower_ ” floated over to him. He ignored it, still smiling to himself in self-satisfaction as he came to glass doors simply marked ‘inventory’. 

There was someone working in there, cataloguing or something, and they looked up at Rhys’ movement outside the door. He gave an awkward smile and the person looked past him in Jack’s direction, understanding dawning on their face as their whole demeanor changed and they waved him in with an overly-friendly expression. 

“Hi,” Rhys said as he pressed the button to be let in, the doors sliding open for him into the sterile room. The person in question was another omega, but he didn’t look at him with any overt hostility or annoyance. He’d peg it closer to an eager caution; more worry over what his presence coupled with Jack’s own meant in terms of position and power for how Rhys was to be treated.

“Hello.”

“Sorry, do you mind if I--”

“Oh! Oh would you-- I mean, did you want-- _Sorry,_ can I help you with something?” 

Rhys had him rattled due to association with Jack. He wasn’t surprised, but he was grateful this omega wasn’t in heat. He spotted a wedding ring on his finger, and could have cried in relief. “I’m sorry, didn’t mean to like startle you or distract from whatever you’re doing. I was just looking at stuff.”

“Oh! Oh well go right ahead! Would you like a tour or… something?” 

He held his hands up in polite refusal. “No no, you keep doing whatever you’re doing, I don’t want to get in the way. Just, uh, just checking things out while Jack… does his thing.”

“Oh... Okay. If you have any questions, I’ll be more than happy to answer them!”

Rhys just nodded at the overeagerness, peering in at the various cabinets and displays in the room marked as prototypes with numbers and letters. He knew his presence was causing the other omega to be anxious, but he just enjoyed himself looking at the various weapons and snickering over names. Jack’s influence was very obvious, especially with working titles like “Assploder 5000”. 

Rhys snorted and moved from the newer prototypes to older, post-catalogued weaponry. He stopped, a sudden sense of familiarity and sinking feeling of unease as he looked at the older guns on display. 

He knew them. He knew _all_ of those guns.

The paint was wrong though, the stocks maybe a bit bigger, sharper, the names _completely_ wrong, and some with capabilities and technologies Rhys was uncertain of. But it was very obvious what he was looking at. These were _Atlas_ guns. He was sure of it. These were things people in their weapons department-- though small- had developed.

But _these_ guns on display were old. He knew how long it took to develop a working prototype, let alone go into production. One of the pistols was something that Atlas had _just_ released, super popular on Crius, and there had been talk of reappropriating the annual budget more towards weaponry and less towards robotics, though that was still up in the air. But here was the same gun, the _exact_ same one, labeled as the Hyperion _Vision._ Last date of modification was _ages_ before Atlas had even started work on… _designing_ it.

Rhys felt sick to his stomach, heart pounding in his chest as his brain went a mile a minute. Something incredibly wrong was going on. This didn’t make sense. Coincidence wasn’t the right word at all. He thought back again to the fact that he didn’t know anything about Hyperion or Jack prior to ending up here, and furthermore that Jack had said there was an _embargo_ against Hyperion goods on Crius.

He felt hot and sick, a little scared even, and turned to quickly ask for the restroom. His sudden speech startled the other omega in the room, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“It’s just outside the sealed doors, past the break room lounge.”

He left the inventory room maybe startlingly quick, brushed right past Jack as the alpha’s annoyed voice called after him and where he was going.

“Bathroom,” Rhys said without stopping until he was safely ensconced in a stall of said utilitarian bathroom, door latched and alone.

Rhys had his head between his hands, fingers digging through and through his hair, nerves frayed over what he’d seen and how it could possibly make any sense. Those were _Atlas_ guns. Atlas. In Hyperion colors. Not simply a reworking of an existing thing, but the _thing_ itself.

He was sat on the toilet lid trying to make sense of things, a million questions in his head that he simply would not receive the answers to sitting in a freaking stall. He whined to himself, wondering if Jack knew about this, and if he didn’t, what he’d think, let alone _do._ What did it mean? What did it all mean?

Someone tried his stall door, breaking his whirlwind thoughts, and he rolled his eyes in frustration. His luck wasn’t running high. 

“ _Occupied!”_ he called out in an annoyed tone, the stranger huffing and entering the stall next to him, lock clicking into place the next door over.

He ran a hand over his face, trying to calm himself and his thundering heart. This wasn’t the time or _place_ to have a breakdown. He needed to talk to Jack, or maybe look into a few things on the echonet beforehand… What did it all _mean?_

He whined to himself helplessly again, ignoring the annoyed clearing of a voice in the stall next to him. He gave a courtesy flush before leaving his impromptu sanctuary, coming before the sink and mirrors and somewhat startled but not totally surprised at the panicked look on his face. That wouldn’t do at all. The way Jack continually studied him, he’d pick up immediately that something was wrong, and knowing the older man, he wouldn’t let it rest until he’d wrung it out of Rhys anyways.

He shakily ran the water and cupped big handfuls with flesh and cybernetic hands both, closing his eyes and splashing his face, willing the heat away; willing some control back. He needed to come up with something; some excuse or he wasn’t feeling well. He could blame it on thinking about the mutated soldiers Jack was trying to create, maybe. Or the vending machine Jack had let him plunder as they’d walked between labs.

He heard the other stall door open, didn’t register the strangeness of a lack of flushing, and just barely dodged the rag coming over his face as he stood up.

Eyes wide, startled at the beta coming at him fast, the man lunged for his face as he put up his arms and made shocked noises of surprise. Was this one of those murder attempts Jack had told him about? Oh _hell_ no, he had the worst luck in the entire world.

The man lunged with the ball of cloth at his face once more as Rhys tried to dance away, managing to cuff Rhys’ lips, the omega tasting blood as his teeth made contact with the delicate skin. 

He bit at the other man, arms flying and a mess of limbs as they struggled against one another. Rhys didn’t even realize the other hand held a knife. As he swung back with all the heft of his cybernetic arm, it knocked the beta flying against the wall, back of his head colliding with a wall dryer unit that knocked the other man out cold. He crumpled to the floor while Rhys stood there dumbly, adrenaline surging through him before he woke up from his shocked trance. 

Rhys rushed out of the bathroom like a snapped rubber band, bumping into a body and nearly falling backwards from the force had an arm not reached out and steadied him. 

“Geez pumpkin, drop a bomb in there or what? What’s the rush about?” 

Jack. 

Jack had moved. Left the lab and was surprisingly waiting for him in the lounge. And Jack’s face was cycling through various emotions at rocket speed as he took in Rhys’ state, the grip on his forearm tightening subconsciously. 

Surprise, confusion, amusement, and realized anger jetted across his face before going carefully blank. Jack was focused on the omega’s mouth, taking the younger man’s chin in his other hand before running his thumb just beneath Rhys’ lower lip. Both of their eyes were focused on Jack’s thumb as it came away crimson before locking on each other. Rhys’ eyes were wide in fear, the younger man shaking; Jack’s were focused and burning. It took a microsecond for everything to fall into place.

“ _Baby,_ did someone touch you?” 

Rhys was trying to find his voice, definitively _afraid_ of Jack for the first time since meeting him. That tone knew _nothing_ of mercy or remorse; held something extremely dangerous that possessed endless potential. Rhys understood at that moment how someone like Jack could have fought off Dahl, tamed numerous planets, and wrested power of Hyperion for himself. 

He was gaping like a fish up at the older man, and Jack’s attention momentarily split between the omega in his grasp and the bathroom he’d just fled from. 

“They still in there?”

Rhys found himself nodding dumbly, unable to form words. A look passed over Jack’s face before he stroked his thumb through the blood catching below his lip. Then the alpha let go of him to stalk into the employee bathroom Rhys had just vacated.

The omega stood there dumbfounded, heart racing a mile a minute just watching the door and waiting to see what would happen. 

He heard two gunshots, then a lot of screaming, followed by another shot and consequent silence. He jumped when the shots started up again in rapid succession before silence once more overtook things.

Rhys’ breaths were coming quickly when the alpha eventually came out of the bathroom, and he hadn’t even noticed that the gunshots had drawn a curious crowd about him. As Jack reappeared, a manic grin on his face before his eyes locked on Rhys, everyone scattered like they might be next. 

“You’re a mess, pumpkin,” the alpha told him, eyeing the younger man’s mouth once again.

Rhys licked his lower lip, tasting copper, the steady bleeding not easily stopping on such delicate skin. Jack’s eyes tracked the movement, but Rhys ignored that for the crimson on the alpha; blood splatters on the older man’s pants and shoes, and the trail of red footprints he’d left behind him.

His heart was still thundering in his chest as his brain was trying to process everything. He nearly jumped when Jack curled a warm hand about the back of his neck, encompassing the entirety of his bonding spot as Jack’s hand dipped down just inside the younger man’s collar. Rhys only whimpered in response, the unfamiliar touch in such an intimate place oddly _relieving_ instead of discomforting. He pressed back into it, willing himself to calm down.

“You hurt anywhere else?” Rhys just shook his head in response, and Jack gave the back of his neck a squeeze. The alpha could smell the scent of fear on him, feel his pulse beating a rhythm in his neck, and his breaths were shallow and shaky. Jack would have rolled his eyes, but he supposed that for someone not used to daily murders, assassination attempts weren’t a normality for the omega either. He could have a _little_ leeway there. “Breathe, kitten, _breathe.”_

“...I… S-sorry.”

Jack huffed to himself. The day was pretty much over now that this had happened. A shell-shocked omega wasn’t going to be of any use to anyone, and frankly Jack was concerned the little string bean was going to keel over on him from stress. His scent was ramping Jack up himself, and he growled a little under his breath, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the omega’s neck, willing him to calm down.

“Damn, okay, this place is boring anyways. You wanna go home? Let’s go home, Rhysie.”

Rhys just nodded dumbly, allowing Jack to lead him by the back of the neck out of the department. 

He willingly leaned on Jack’s shoulder when the older man threw an arm around him, riding the executive elevator back up to his penthouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is gonna take right back up where this left off (ended up becoming _far_ too long). 
> 
> Ya'll want some smut? I got some smut. _Oh boy howdy_ do I ever got some smut. Strap in sluts.
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter's update may take an extra few days so apologies in advance! I have a dinner party at the Consul General of Japan's official residence on thursday in LA to honor the work myself and others did in japan, and there's gonna be a lot of japanese business CEOs and officials there, and my jobless ass needs to network and shit so I'm gonna be a little focused on that this week. Apologies in advance.
> 
> ....leaves ya'll extra time to comment before the next chapter *hint hint* AHAHAH you guys are great ;D

“You feel like telling me what happened in there?” Jack asked for the second time as they rode the elevator that would take them home. Rhys had stopped shaking from the assassination attempt at least, and the younger man’s breathing had finally returned to normal.

“He… I don’t know,” Rhys told him, mind going straight to his realization about the weapons he’d seen, but pushing it to the back of his mind. Later. He’d have to cross that bridge _later_. Now was not the time. “He just came at me out of nowhere with a cloth… Something out of a cheap B-movie,” he added with a little manic laugh. “I thought I was gonna be kidnapped or something.”

“Or make it a nice, quiet event of slitting your throat without attracting attention.”

Rhys just nodded numbly along with that, still reeling. That they’d try to put him under _before_ sticking a knife in him hadn’t actually occurred to him. Until he’d actually seen the knife, he _did_ think he was being kidnapped. “Yeah… yeah…”

Jack huffed, pulled him in close again by the arm wrapped over his shoulders, and pressed a reassuring kiss to the side of the omega’s head even though they weren’t in the public eye. “Well, don’t worry about it anymore, pumpkin. He’s dead. Probably worked out for the best. No one should try anything on you if they don’t want a couple new holes in the head.”

“Mmm… yeah… yeah you’re probably right.”

The fearful scent that hung to Rhys turned Jack’s gut in ways he normally took _pride_ in about Helios, but Rhys wasn’t exactly one of his employees… Okay _technically_ , he was, but Jack didn’t relish in this scent. 

He was glad when they’d finally exited the elevator, Rhys’ fearful musk thick in the small space, and the omega actually gave a sigh of relief when they’d entered the familiar and safe space of Jack’s penthouse.

The older man rubbed at the bridge of his nose as he looked at the jumpy omega. He was bad at this, but he could try to reassure him. The distressed tang to Rhys’ scent was making the alpha anxious anyways, so it would benefit him to try and comfort the younger man. 

“Look kiddo, take a nice hot shower, use that expensive shit I bought you at that place in the hub, and _calm down._ I’m gonna work on dinner, okay? Get some food and beer in ya, that’s a nice treat for a first assassination attempt, right? You’ve earned it.”

Rhys snorted at that, but said that it sounded like a good plan, and disappeared into the safety of his tiny attached bathroom while Jack was left to mess around in the kitchen.

\--

The shower helped a great deal more than he wanted to admit, the hot water soothing away tension, and the pleasing floral scents of the body washes he had filling him with thoughts of more peaceful, relaxing spaces. His lip still stung, though it had stopped bleeding at least, and the warmth of the water felt good against the small tear. He considered putting Jack’s hot-water capabilities to the test, wondering if the water would turn cold if he decided to just live in the cubicle.

But things stayed nice and warm, and he started to get kind of pruny, so he gave himself one last full-body scrub before surrendering himself to the sordid world of Hyperion once more.

Rhys sat on his bed after mostly toweling dry, nervous still and uneasy, thoughts going a mile a minute.

The attempt on his life should have been occupying his thoughts, but it just wasn’t registering. He was stuck on those damn guns. He didn’t want to think about the guns he'd recognized. The guns that shouldn’t be there. That had no _sense_ in being there. _Why didn’t he know about Hyperion back on Crius?_

He couldn’t ask Jack about it tonight. Not tonight. He needed to research things, find a catalogue to look at, and have some conclusions drawn before he brought things to Jack’s attention. It occurred to him that Jack might make the wrong conclusions and try to bury his company; ruin Atlas just for an _implication_ that Rhys _really_ didn’t want to think about. The omega had worked too damn hard trying to prove himself as a capable head for Atlas, that his projects were actually _good_ ; that he wasn’t just getting a free lunch thanks to the family name. He couldn’t risk offering everything up to the slaughter without more information. 

...Maybe he could get Jack to take him back down there under the guise of target practice. Ask a few seemingly innocent questions. Yeah, that might just work.

He played about on the echonet a little to try to calm his nerves, staying _away_ from anything Hyperion-related, looking up pictures of cats and trying to beat his high-score on his comm games again. Of course, he ended up on the Jack fanbase boards yet again, the page a simple touch away from his very clumsy finger. 

If he was looking for a distraction, he was definitely in the wrong place. 

The message boards were already overflowing with curiosity over the man Jack had killed for; a beta dead for touching _his_ omega. Rhys didn’t even think he’d been in the shower that long-- that enough time had even passed- for this type of speculation to be going _wild._ It made him a little sick if he was being honest, worry over being in the spotlight and attracting another jealous would-be assassin. 

There were some posted pictures of him taken at odd angles-- as if the photographers had quickly snapped shots from around corners or from their desks when they should have been working. It was clear from the angle that the intent had been to get _Jack_ in their excitement, as the CEO was the center of most of the photos. But then the subject of ‘mystery omega’ and the beta’s death came up, and the half-blurry, weird photos including _him_ were put on display.

They weren’t pictures from his attack, but he recognized the locations from days previous. One was of him and Jack walking through the hub. Another he recognized from one of the meetings he had accompanied Jack to, the picture taken from someone’s cubicle. He snorted at the yellow tie he’d worn as he was slouched in boredom, deciding that that would _not_ be getting a repeat with that suit as he looked hideous. 

Jack, the handsome bastard that he was, hadn’t been captured stuffing his face with a muffin or halfway through a sneeze in a single damn shot. Even blurred by motion or mid-action, Jack looked _good_ in the photos. The man postured himself like a damned peacock, so it shouldn’t have been too surprising, though Rhys wasn’t going to forgive him for that.

Still, they could have been a bit more generous in the photos of _Rhys_ they decided to share, he thought.

Unflattering or not, what Jack had done to the man that had tried to kill him had sent a message. It was gruesome, demonstrably possessive, and Jack’s fans were praising their hero for protecting ‘his omega’. One proclaimed their wish that _they_ were Jack’s omega, that someone would protect _them_ like that, and others echoed the sentiment and damned Rhys’ luck and _who the hell was this lucky omega anyways?_

It made Rhys snort, wondering why anyone would wish for a damn attempt on their life in the first place, but he was also cautiously optimistic that perhaps word would spread and the target would be _off_ his back as ‘the lucky omega that caught Handsome Jack’s eye’. Jack was intimidating to his own people, so maybe some of that would finally work in Rhys’ favor.

The threads told him a bit more about just what Jack had done in that room. Apparently the extra gunshots Rhys had heard had been Jack shooting his dead assailant’s hands off before writing ‘don’t touch’ on the tile walls in blood. Pretty damn gruesome, but also very much in Jack’s ‘hands-on’ style of approach. 

The dead man wasn’t a great loss; no one knew the beta that had tried to kill him anyways, or if they did, no one spoke up about it. Maybe it was still too-early to tell. But it sent a powerful and literal message that everyone on those boards read loud and clear: Handsome Jack’s omega was _not_ to be messed with.

Reading that made Rhys feel weirdly proud that Jack had done that to the man on his behalf, blushing a little at the thought even if he tried to tell himself that this all served _Jack_ and _Jack’s purposes_ first and foremost. 

Regardless, Rhys felt a whole lot better about his chances of surviving until he could get out of here and get back home. Over a week until the _actual_ mail order bride would be there, and another day or so before Jack said his chain of informants would be anywhere near Rhys’ star system to see what information they could garner.

So he just had to wait and be patient with what he knew, see what Jack could find out for him, and try not to be assassinated during that time. _Piece of cake._

Rhys needed a freaking beer.

He rejoined Jack in the open living room, nostrils flaring at rich scents of meat and vegetables hanging in the air. Jack had a yellow apron on that was the same color as that sweater that seemed to be a part of him, the alpha drizzling sauce over something as he looked up at the younger man.

“Started to wonder if you drowned,” Jack joked, grinning as he waited for the inevitable eye roll from the omega. “Here kitten, eat up. And grab a beer or two. It’s your first attempted assassination, you gotta celebrate. Everything tastes better after fighting for your life.”

Rhys snorted at the older man’s levity, but gratefully accepted the plate as Jack shoved it at him. The alpha took the yellow apron off before snatching up his own plate and some beers, following in the omega’s footsteps. It smelled absolutely amazing, Rhys’ mouth watering as they made themselves comfortable on the couch to eat as per routine.

Rhys was actually more than a little shocked that the taste followed the scent, moaning over the savory flavors as the alpha grinned with smug self-satisfaction. He swallowed to compliment the man with genuine surprise. “I had no idea you could cook.”

Jack snorted. “I’ve made pancakes several times now. ‘The hell do you call that?”

Rhys grinned at Jack’s exaggerated offense, pointing out the obvious. “We’ve been eating take out every single night.”

“I like cooking.”

“Sure you do,” Rhys teased, getting a smirk from the older man.

“Shut up and eat, you little shit.”

The food made him nice and warm, and the beer helped calm his nerves immensely. He was grateful the older man kept them coming as they sat and watched tv, even as he joked about how hard the omega was shaking after he’d shot that guy, and that Rhys would have to get used to a little corporate murder some day. It was a mark of weak leadership if you went to pieces every time; try to imagine them in their underwear maybe, make your own fun as you strangled the life from employees. Take pride in your work.

Rhys snorted at that, not taking Jack seriously for even a second. “You scared me, alright? I was kind of already freaked, so cut me _some_ slack here.”

Jack stopped in his long draught from his bottle to swallow and fix Rhys with an offended look. “W-w-w-wait a sec there kiddo, _I_ scared you? I kill that frickin’ guy that tried to kill _you,_ and _I’m_ the scary one?”

“I don’t mean like _that_ ,” Rhys told him, studying the label on his beer. “You just… I don’t know… I knew something bad was gonna happen when I came out of there. You had this… _intense_ look on your face.” His cheeks were heating as he admitted the fact, realizing again just how _capable_ he’d found the alpha; the CEO truly was an unstoppable force. Jack just laughed and Rhys shot him a frown. 

“You mean you were in _awe_ of me. Yeah, I get that, easy to mistake, it happens. Everyone gets that way when they realize how cool I am. Pay more attention next time.”

“Whatever,” Rhys said with a wry smile, giving the older man a grateful look anyways, and tipping his bottle in acknowledgement. “Thanks, Jack.”

“Any time sweet pea.”

They watched more tv in companionable silence, Jack pausing his channel-surfing to stay on one of his own biopics with unconcealed glee.

“Oh hey, you seen this one yet? You’ve seen how cool I am in person now, so enjoy some douche’s cinematic take on _The_ Handsome Jack, all cool background music and explosions and everything!”

Rhys just snorted, but let the CEO toot his own horn.

He _had_ seen this one, actually, but he didn’t tell the older man that. He found he’d very much like to zone out to the alpha’s exploits, drinking beer next to the star of the movie. He'd enjoy his second viewing with the addition of knowledge he had now, and it could be a _normal_ thing this time around.

Considering how the day had gone, he was actually having _fun_. Either the stress of the day or the beers or the company or _probably_ a combination of all three was making for a pretty good evening, and he didn’t have to feign interest as Jack talked over his own biopic to give Rhys ‘special insider commentary’. Either Jack was especially witty, or the beer was a good addition to the evening indeed, but he was laughing and snorting and thoroughly entertained.

They were even sitting closer together as Jack got up to get them more beer before plopping back next to the omega without ceremony. Rhys just smirked and accepted a fresh one, the knowledge that he was pleasantly getting the tiniest bit tipsy making him feel better. Better still, a drinking, tipsy _Jack_ made for amusing, less-intimidating company to be around.

Jack elbowed him a few times on what he thought was really cool parts, showing what a badass he was, and the alpha was totally absorbed in his own image. Figured, but it was amusing at least, and Rhys was on the edge of his seat getting to watch everything on a screen about a hundred times the size of the tablet he first had. Jack was right; he did look cool. But he wouldn’t admit that to the alpha out of fear Jack’s ego would outgrow his head.

When it ended, Jack called it ‘timeless cinema’ and lazily searched around for something else to occupy their interest. Comments on a nature show turned into easy chatter that eventually revolved around themselves as the beer kept flowing, the program just background noise to their easy conversation.

“I need you around more, Rhysie,” Jack told him easily. “Get your scent on _all_ my stuff. You smell a hell of a lot better than the peons throwing themselves at me, and it helps get _that_ smell out of my nose,” the alpha muttered, taking a sip from his bottle before snorting to himself. “Wonder if we could bottle that stuff, turn it into a room spray. How about it? _Eau du cupcake.”_

Rhys turned red at the statement as Jack laughed and jabbered on about fancy-sounding words, unaware of the compliment he’d paid the omega as he snickered and chuckled over naming conventions and his own humor.

“What… uh… What _do_ I smell like?” Rhys posed curiously, watching the older man shyly.

Jack paused, his thought-train derailed as he contemplated Rhys’ question with seriousness. He had a finger to the clasp on his chin as he thought, nostrils flaring as he got a scent on the younger man next to him. He washed his thought down with a sip of beer before sharing.

“Home. You smell like home.”

Such an innocuous answer shouldn’t have made Rhys’ gut do somersaults, but he tried to play it off easily, even as he was certain his cheeks were turning pink. “...I haven’t been here _that_ long, Jack.”

The older man snorted, still in thought. “Nah, not like _that_. Like, uh, it’s like an omega thing I guess. I dunno. I mean you smell like fresh baked bread and honey and those weird little white flowers that only grow on Pandora, but that’s not how I mean.” Rhys flushed even more to hear himself described thus so casually as the older man thought hard to articulate what he meant. “Fuck, I don’t know. You smell _right._ That’s all I’ve got.”

Jack drew his attention back to Rhys’ face, blinking with momentary confusion and then slowly smirking as he realized just how hard the younger man was blushing; realizing the things he’d said. He leaned in much closer, a dopey grin on his face, half-teasing, half something else. “How do _I_ smell, sweetheart?”

Rhys averted his gaze, the omega’s lips somewhat tugging into a smile as the tables had been turned on him. Fair enough, though he wasn’t prepared to face it. Jack smelled _good._ He felt hot behind the ears. “I… I don’t know…”

“Don’t know, huh?” Jack leaned in even closer, their shoulders brushing hard against one another, until his scent was practically setting up shop inside the omega’s nostrils. It caused an excited shiver to thrill up Rhys’ back, his stomach doing somersaults. “Go ahead, I won’t bite.”

The way Jack so casually cocked his head, baring his neck to the omega made Rhys whine internally, his heart rate picking up considerably. Of _course_ he was going to scent the older man. He couldn’t resist an alpha like _Jack_ baring himself like that; all vulnerable, warm skin to the air with a welcoming, lazy smile on his face. Not a chance. 

He couldn’t bring himself to touch his nose against Jack’s skin like the older man had once done to him. He was already hanging onto his sanity by mere threads, Jack’s heady scent curling around him and gripping him hard. He didn’t know where they stood with one another-- on a weird sort of truce if anything- but he knew that he _wanted,_ and he wasn’t going to be able to hide that fact for much longer.

Especially not with Jack’s neck bared to him.

Rhys inhaled maybe closer than he'd intended to get, senses drowning in the alpha’s musk, his warmth, his self-satisfied smirk. He sat back, head spinning in pleasure that had nothing to do with beer as Jack grinned at him, waiting for his report. “Well? ...what’s the verdict?” 

“You… You smell like… like…” Rhys could feel himself becoming slick, hard, his face still hot as he looked into Jack’s mismatched eyes as the alpha waited for a response he just wasn’t going to get from the omega. The urge to kiss the older man was overwhelming, drawing his attention away from making coherent sentences as the tension he’d felt the last few days finally came to a head. “You smell like-- Can… Can we…?” Rhys’ eyes were focused on Jack’s lips, licking his own as he tried to get his sentences out, and it was all the clue the alpha needed to close the distance between them.

Rhys made a noise between a whimper and a growl as Jack pressed their mouths together. The omega grasped the alpha, tugging Jack hard over him, pulling his mouth harder against his own while making little needy sounds. His lip hurt a little, but it was nothing compared to the pleasure of the kiss. Jack broke from his mouth to breathe, a low, growled chuckle leaving his lips as Rhys pressed his hips up against the older man with a helpless sigh. Jack was boxing him in, resting heavily upon him, and Rhys’ fingers kneaded at his shoulders and back, trying to get closer.

“Jack… Can we-- I want to-- _Can we have sex?”_

The older man laughed even as he groaned at the unconfident request. He resumed kissing the younger man’s lips, moving down the omega’s throat to kiss at his collarbone as Rhys grasped the sweater at his back, his moan making Jack snicker his response. “We sure as hell can, Rhysie.”

“Oh-- I-- _yay_ ,” Rhys murmured in a small, enthusiastic voice, brain a little broken as his fingers were busy burying themselves in Jack’s grey-streaked brown hair. Jack tongued at the juncture of neck and shoulder, pulling aside Rhys’ t-shirt with appreciative sounds. The younger man’s hips came up from the couch again with a needy moan, feeling the interested stiffness in his pants greeted by Jack’s own. He held the CEO eagerly, and Jack ground back against him as his voice became a wanton moan. “ _Here?”_

“Unless you prefer the bed?” Jack pulled up to look at him, then grinned down as Rhys looked in the direction of the bedroom. The older man snorted and got up, though he didn’t take his hands off the younger man the whole time. It elicited excited noises from Rhys’ lips and a husky purr from Jack. They both snickered as he pulled Rhys up off the couch, mellowed and easy going from the beers and camaraderie both. “Come on, sugar.”

Jack walked behind Rhys as they quickly made their way to his massive bedroom, the alpha’s hands on the omega’s hips coming to wrap around him, the pair snickering like idiots as they stood before the bed. He kept Rhys from falling forward onto the golden sheets like the omega intended, instead kissing all about the back of his neck and digging hands up Rhys’ shirt, nosing boldly at his bonding site that resulted in a helplessly turned-on moan from the omega.

“ _Jack?”_

He was looking back at the older man, worry writ in his dilated eyes as the alpha kissed his shoulder and gave him a squeeze. “I won’t touch it if you don’t want me to.”

“Just don’t bite, okay?…”

“At all?”

Rhys laughed and squeezed the alpha’s forearms snaking up his torso, leaning back into the older man. “Everywhere _but_ there is fine.” 

“You got it Rhysie.”

He turned Rhys in his arms and they quickly undressed each other, climbing to the bed in a mess of limbs and kisses that turned into moans and grunts. The feeling of Jack’s strong thighs against his, his weight atop him as hot kisses were pressed into his flesh made Rhys feel like he was spiraling out of control. And he loved it.

“You're so goddamn pretty, you know that Rhysie?” Jack laved his tongue over Rhys’ nipple, finally tracing the ink covering half of the younger man's upper body with the tip of his tongue like he’d been secretly fantasizing about. 

Though it made the omega arch off the bed, Jack wasn't certain that _he_ wasn't getting off on licking the younger man more than Rhys was. The omega was flushed from his face right down past his navel, like a path directing the alpha where he wanted him most, and Jack felt harder than he had in his life in anticipating burying his cock in the younger man. 

Rhys’ hands were in his hair as Jack kissed his skin, hands busy with firm touches to his body as the alpha moaned out his pleasure. “ _Shit,_ you're pretty everywhere I bet.”

“Jack _please_ ,” Rhys whined as the older man was making his way down his torso, pressing kisses to Rhys’ left ilium, chuckling in the kissing of his hips when his cheek made contact with the skin of Rhys’ stiff, velvety cock. A smear of precum was across the older man’s cheek, the omega whining as Jack slid down further to really play with him.

“Really princess, you've got the sweetest little dick,” Jack said in breathy appreciation. He ran his thumb up the underside as Rhys’ cock twitched on his belly, the younger man muttering how good it felt. The velvety smooth skin was begging to be tasted, and Jack brushed his tongue from base to head as Rhys made a choked sound of pleasure. The alpha smacked his lips together in appreciation. “Mmm baby. This poor little guy should be on display, make everyone else jealous they can't have a taste.”

The lurch of interest Rhys’ cock gave at the idea wasn't something the omega was necessarily proud of, but _damn_ Jack’s voice and his words was _doing_ it for him. The filthy idea of having his cock out, Jack-- dangerous, _powerful_ alpha that he was- on his knees sucking him in front of all those omegas and alphas and betas that worshipped him made Rhys cry out. _Jack was the only one allowed to touch him,_ it would imply. _Look what your hero is doing, and who he's doing it to._

Jack was still playing with his cock, giving it little kitten licks when Rhys cried out, coming unexpectedly onto Jack’s face and his own belly as the alpha aimed him away with a pleased smirk.

Jack laughed, taking it in stride and giving him an encouraging stroke as he spurted, sucking his cock into his mouth to try to get the last spasms of release. The bitter flavor on his tongue made a pleased shiver go up Jack’s back and a growl hum deep in his throat, nostrils flaring with the scent of his pleasure. He pulled off as Rhys’ cock went soft, wiping his face with a smirk and dragging the hand in his sheets without a care. Before Jack could tease him about coming so fast, or to give a guy warning, Rhys was digging fingers into Jack's hair and tugging as he stretched in languid pleasure, unchecked, blissed-out words dripping from his lips. 

“...god _I love your voice,_ ” he sighed out unashamedly, blunt nails scraping against Jack’s scalp as he purred at the older man.

Whatever remark Jack had died on his lips as the alpha was brought up to crush his mouth against the omega’s. Rhys’ pleased moan was muffled as their tongues met, tasting the bitterness of his own release in Jack’s mouth and not caring one bit. He could feel the heavy weight of Jack's cock against his thigh as the alpha loomed over him, and tried to pull him down on top of him again.

Rhys nearly snapped when Jack was instead removing himself from the bed, the older man laughing as he was grabbing a wet cloth to clean up with. “Just gonna wipe off, sweetheart. As much fun as it is having you come on my face, that shit’s not good for _this_ ,” he said with a sardonic laugh at his mask.

“Oh, sorry Jack,” Rhys apologized sort of sheepishly, though still too post-blissful to be too ashamed about it.

“Don't worry sugar, that was hot as hell. And I'm not nearly done with you. Sit tight.”

“Oh,” Rhys said simply. “ _Goody…”_

“Did you just say ‘goody’?” the alpha laughed.

Rhys ignored his teasing as Jack cleaned himself up in two seconds flat to return his interest to Rhys’ lower half.

“Let’s see if you taste as good everywhere,” Jack said with a grin as he pulled himself between Rhys’ thighs, big, warm hands on sensitive skin.

The younger man spread his legs wide, eager for whatever it was Jack intended to do, and he cried out in pleasure as he felt Jack’s thumb brush over his leaking hole, the man gathering up the slick before pushing the pad of his thumb into the younger man. Rhys’ semi-soft cock gave a twitch of more than passing interest.

“Fuck Jack yes _please.”_

The deep growl of the older man was felt in his skin when Jack’s tongue made contact with his hole, Rhys’ high-pitched whines and filthy moans filling the room as Jack’s tongue explored, the alpha’s cock _throbbing_ as he ignored it. The alpha had a hand encompassing Rhys’ cute little omega cock, thumb stroking the head as his other hand held Rhys open, tongue laving over his balls and circling his entrance while making genuinely pleased hums in his throat.

Rhys’ face was red, body hot, hopelessly turned on and pretty sure he was going to die from the treatment. His cock was hardening in Jack’s hand again, eyes rolling into the back of his head as Jack sucked one of his balls into his hot mouth, a large finger sunk into his slickness up to the knuckle.

Rhys was babbling as the older man fingered him, Jack’s groaning about how slick and wet he was turning the omega on to insane degrees. He wanted the alpha _inside_ him, but the older man was still having fun playing with him, telling him what a cute little omega dick he had, tonguing the younger man and wrenching some truly exquisite sounds from Rhys’ mouth.

It was around the time Jack was in danger of Rhys’ thighs crushing his head from pleasure that the older man let up with a filthy chuckle to rummage through his bedside table for a condom. Jack muttered impatiently, quickly rolling it on with nearly shaking hands, fingers fumbling in his eagerness to get inside the omega.

Rhys watched him with a focus that cut straight through the beer they’d drank, patience just about gone and gaze predatory and hungry. He was growling for Jack to hurry, fidgeting impatiently, legs spread and inviting as Jack hurried to grasp at the younger man. A warm hand closed around his ankle and pulled Rhys flush against his thighs, and Jack ground his cock against the younger man’s with a barely restrained groan. 

“Fuck, _Rhysie_ , you ready for me?”

“Jack _fuck me_ for god’s sake,” Rhys growled, fingers digging into the older man’s back and pulling him towards his to nip at his lips. 

Jack growled as he crushed their mouths together before taking his cock in hand and easing it into the younger man. Rhys’ toes curled as the alpha’s cockhead slowly eased into him, then another inch, and another while Jack made absolutely filthy noises of pleasure. 

Rhys was going to come again from the thick heat of the man alone, easing in then out of him only to thrust in deeper with his slickness. The enraptured look on Jack’s face made Rhys groan, pulling at Jack to kiss the happy smirk there as he finally built up a delicious rhythm. God _damn_ but the older man was sexy, the look of ultimate pleasure being derived completely from Rhys’ body as he thrust himself in and out of the younger man. Rhys couldn’t handle that thought, crying out at the thick, wet slide of the alpha’s cock and Jack’s bruising grip on his hips. 

One touch of Jack’s hand, and Rhys was going to come. He was good at keeping his hands off himself so far; clinging to Jack, feeling the way his muscles moved beneath the skin in his back as he thrust into him. But what little control he had was disintegrating at an exponential rate, and his voice felt raw with the frequency and pitch of his moaning. It was too good, too damn good.

Jack's thrusts began to waver, the sounds the older man made choked off in trying to hold on to what last threads of control he had. “Rhysie, mmm-- _fuck_ , you… _ah_ … you feel so good. _Shit.”_

His voice sounded wrecked, _desperate_ , hips hitching as his orgasm was building quickly. Rhys could feel the way Jack’s cock seemed to get thicker on each pull out, the younger man moaning hard even as Jack’s hand slithered up his hip to wrap around Rhys’ cock.

“I-Is that your knot?” he gasped in realization, Jack’s hips slamming harder into him at those words with a harsh groan. Rhys cried as Jack’s thumb stroked over his cockhead, coming over Jack’s hand with gasps, every spurt painting his belly between them. 

Rhys’ body was spasming on Jack’s cock buried deep inside him as the older man ground himself against his ass, incoherent with pleasure and babbling praise.

“Oh _fuck, yesss._ Rhysie, god- _damn_ you feel-- _aaah_ \- good, so good- Can I knot you? _Can I knot you?_ ” Jack asked desperately as he pulled out to slam back in, wrenching a cry of pleasure from the omega as they both groaned out, his girth thickening.

“Yes _fuuuuck_ gimme your knot.”

Jack didn’t think on the fact that he came right at Rhys’ moaned words, hips hitching and grinding against the younger man as he released _hard._ Jack certainly wouldn’t call the noise he made a _sob_ but goddamn his dick was in absolute _ecstasy_ inside the sweet omega under him, throbbing out the final spurts of his orgasm as his knot swole to snugness.

They laid there quietly catching their breath for some time, chuckling and scenting and kissing each other in post-coital bliss. Rhys felt better than he had in a _long_ time, purring in contentment as Jack laid on the praise thick about how Rhys’ ass was made for his dick and how hard he’d come and how everything about the omega was just _perfect._

“That was _so_ good, kitten. So _so_ good.” Jack pressed himself harder into the younger man a moment, making a pleased hum before relaxing against him again as his knot just barely moved. He hunkered down on top of Rhys again to kiss his cheeks while the younger man purred up at the treatment, hugging Jack around his shoulders.

“Mmm yeah…” He gave Jack’s cock a slight squeeze with his body, the older man’s quick intake of breath making him smile. 

“You’re so damn pretty baby, makes me want you all over again.”

“Mmm... _can_ we do that again?”

His response was Jack’s supremely-pleased laughter, cupping the younger man’s head as he supported himself on elbows, nuzzling the omega’s face and kissing him with a leased growl. “We sure as shit can, baby.”

\--

Rhys woke up alone in Jack’s bed, wondering if he’d overslept. 

But no, it was 3 a.m. Not nearly time to get up. He listened for Jack in the bathroom or something, unable to fall back asleep, but after five minutes and then ten, he got up and pulled on his sweatpants to search.

He found the older man in his home office, glasses on his masked face as he worked on whatever business would drag him from bed at that hour, a thinking frown on his face. The only light came from his screen, blinding Jack to the rest of the room, so when Rhys suddenly materialized from the darkness, Jack’s startled jump startled _him_ as well.

“ _Frickin’ A_ Rhysie, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” he said with a smirk, immediately powering down whatever he’d been working on to chuckle, a hand over his face to compose himself. 

“Sorry.”

Jack put his hand back into his lap, darkness but for indicator buttons obscuring things back to black. The older man reached forward and gently took Rhys’ hand in his, rubbing the back of his palm with his thumb. His hands were warm, and his tone held a leer that made Rhys smile. “You need a round two, sweetheart?”

Rhys could feel his face heating, enjoying the touch on his hand, heart beating a bit faster as his cock gave an interested twitch in his pants. He smiled in the darkness. It hadn’t been what he’d come for, no, but the warmth in Jack’s voice and the feel of that hand in the dark was certainly nothing he’d turn down.

“Y-yeah. Yeah.”

Jack quietly chuckled again and got up, using a hand to feel his way up Rhys’ chest and neck to take the younger man’s chin in hand. He kissed him, just barely missing his lips, and hummed as the younger man pressed against him to fix their fit. Jack spent a good amount of time scenting up and down Rhys’ neck, murmuring and chuffing in appreciation before the omega was grinding himself against the older man. 

Round two ended up on the floor of his home office instead, and Rhys thought the carpet burn was well worth the experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not as plot intensive but believe me when i say it wasn't filler and things probably aren't going where ya'll might hope.
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well lookie here, I got my bartending job back before I met with the consul and got my shit in order woo! haha :) Enjoy an extra damn freakin' long chapter

“Hey kiddo, wanna see something funny?”

Rhys looked up from where he was laying on his back on the couch in Jack’s office, playing a game on his comm in boredom while they were between meetings. The expression on Jack’s face matched the fiendish glee in his voice as the CEO watched him expectantly.

“Depends on your definition of ‘ _funny_ ’,” Rhys told him with a raise of his brow, not sure if it was worth getting up and abandoning his comm game for. He was deliciously sore, but also comfortable. Jumping up to see another corporate meme with Jack’s face on it wouldn’t be worth moving, that was for damn sure. “Funny ‘haha’ funny, or funny ‘scary’ funny?”

“It’s to _die_ for.” 

Rhys sat up, giving the alpha a weird look for the tickled snicker that followed his statement. “If it’s you venting another lab then I’m not interested, Jack,” the younger man told him with a distasteful scrunch of his nose.

“Pumpkin, those varkids would have laid eggs in those guys’ brains and made a huge mess for janitorial if I _didn’t_ space them. You gotta do these things if you don’t want a bigger mess later. Take notes.” 

The smile on Jack’s face held no remorse for the venting of those scientists, and the giant Pandoran insects swarming in the room at the time were going to give Rhys nightmares for sure. If he never went back down to bio-science, it would be too soon. “You didn’t have to _lock_ them in there, though. Some could have gotten out.”

“They should have thought of that before letting a bunch of dumb bugs get loose from their cages in the first place,” Jack told him without a care. “Geez I’m surrounded by idiots sometimes. You want those things loose inside the rest of Helios?” The face the omega gave him only made the CEO laugh. “That’s what I thought. Now c’mere and look at this.”

Rhys rolled his eyes but pulled himself up to walk over to Jack’s messy desk. It was very different from what one would expect of a CEO, but very typical if one knew _Jack._

The top was littered with tablets, actual papers, an old mug of coffee next to a fresh one, and various other things and small tools. Nothing was organized so much as shoved to this side or that. Coffee stains on hastily-written notes were under documents for some product or another, and Jack sat amidst it all like the king of organized chaos.

Rhys spared a passing glance at all the open screens on the CEO’s desk demanding Jack’s attention; budget proposals, schematics, things downloading, a cat video that was making its rounds about Helios...

But his attention was pointed to one Jack beckoned him to. The alpha pointed with fiendish glee, grin toothy like waiting for the punchline of a joke to be realized as he watched Rhys’ face. “Check it out kiddo: you’re dead!”

Rhys blinked uncomprehending for a moment as he was looking at a screen that held images of actual printed newspapers from Crius. He rubbed his eyes uncertainly as Jack swayed to and fro in his chair, a smirk of pure amusement on his face as Rhys tried to make sense of what it was he was seeing.

“Pretty sad, huh? Think it’ll be open-casket? Probably not.”

Jack’s gleeful tone went entirely ignored as Rhys skimmed his eyes over the words from a paper dated just the week prior, blood draining from his face and gut clenching seeing his own name and picture in the planetary news. 

“No, this can’t be real.” Rhys gave Jack a dirty look. “Are you sure this is real?”

Jack shot his own dirty look back at the implication, minorly offended. “You think I would come up with something as stupid as ‘ _Big Tech Little Crius’?_ You tell _me_ if that crap is real or not, it’s _your_ tiny-ass planet.” 

Rhys flushed, but yeah, Jack had a point. He knew this paper. The largest news source on the planet, actually, trying to keep to small-town values with it’s big time readership. They always published his new work with cybernetics, and he kept articles about Atlas framed around the department to boost morale.

But all of Atlas was currently in mourning, apparently, following the panic over the initial kidnapping and subsequent death of ‘the omega that was set to inherit the family company’. Rhys felt his heart pick up speed as he read, thinking this was all some kind of joke.

There had been a transport ship in an ‘illegal bride business’ that lost its functions and crashed shortly after take-off with cargo full of omegas in hypersleep. There were no survivors, bodies too badly burnt to identify; the presence of a customized mechanical arm belonging to the missing omega was found on a charred corpse matching Rhys’ description. There was even a picture of the arm itself, which Rhys thought a bit hysterically was badly in poor taste, along with a picture of him from one of his presentations on new tech that had made the papers.

It was Rhys’ arm, yes, but one he hadn’t used since his last upgrade to the current one mounted in his socket. It was done in yellows and blacks just like his current one, but it was a different model, that much was immediately clear to him. 

But the press wouldn’t know that; his uncle wouldn’t know that. No one would realize the glaring error that proved Rhys was still very much _alive_. The differences were minute. It was so clearly wrong though, the urgency running through the omega to scream that he wasn’t dead manifesting in a shaky anxiousness.

“That’s my arm…” Jack raised a brow at the younger man, eyes going to his right arm in question and settling on the mechanical hand Rhys was wringing with worry. The omega shook his head at the CEO’s curious look. “It’s one of my _older_ arms. But it’s still _mine.”_

“ _Coooool,_ ” Jack drawled out after a moment, an interested grin on his face. “We’ve got a set up.” The older man chuckled. “The sordid life of Crius is a _lot_ more interesting than I thought. I take back everything I said, kiddo.”

“This isn’t funny, Jack.”

“It’s frickin’ _hilarious_ sweetheart.” The older man cackled and Rhys shot him a dirty, panic-filled look. “ _Someone_ obviously wanted you out of the picture and screwed up a _very_ creative hit. Your tight little ass was probably supposed to be in that crash, and now they’re covering theirs.” The CEO snickered and gave Rhys a patronizing pat on the arm. “Good thing you made it to me instead, huh buttercup? Thank god for idiots in the system.”

“No… This makes no-- I don’t know anyone that would put a hit out on me, Jack.”

“Yes you do, Rhysie. It’s called _everyone_. Have you been paying _any_ attention on how to run a corporation?” the alpha asked him sarcastically. “If someone’s not trying to kill you, you’re doing it wrong.”

Rhys gave him a blank look, obviously having trouble coming to terms with this new information. Jack grabbed the tablet back from him, skimming over the article announcing Rhys’ death. The omega made little worried sounds as his brain tried to process things, and it wasn’t helping that Jack was getting a major kick out of things as he read.

“Lone survivor of the Atlas family _blah blah blah..._ Next of kin heartbroken _yada yada…_ Oh here we go: ‘Vasquez Industrial implicated in the kidnapping and murder of the heir to the rival company’.” Jack snorted. “So this month’s assassination attempt award for creativity goes to Vasquez Industrial! There’s your answer, pumpkin.”

“That’s… No, no that doesn’t make any sense…”

Jack snorted a little humorlessly, giving Rhys an exasperated look like he was dumb. “Kitten, a _rival_ company trying to kill you makes _perfect_ sense. Just be glad there was some kind of mix-up or you’d be extra-crispy right now.”

Rhys rolled his eyes. “Vasquez Industrial is hardly a ‘rival’, Jack. Their company is tiny. A bunch of low-class mafia types with a creepy pervert of an alpha for a boss. But he wouldn’t have done this. I’m sure he wouldn’t.”

Jack chuckled. “So you’ve got fans _everywhere,_ huh pumpkin?”

Rhys wrinkled his nose with a genuine look of distaste. “They wouldn’t have been behind this. I mean, he’s tried to get me alone a few times, asked me to marry him, _merge_ the companies or whatever--” he gestured flippantly, as if the Crius alpha was below his notice, “I don’t know, my uncle told security to shoot on site. But point is, he _likes_ me. He’s a freak but he likes me.”

“Well aren’t _you_ a choosy one.” 

Rhys’ lips became a disgusted line. “He has a thing for slifs.” Jack gave him a blank look and a cock of his head. “They’re non-aggressive lake animals on Crius…” Rhys explained with a sour look. “Like aquatic-skags. I don’t think I need to spell it out for you.”

A sour look took Jack’s face as dawning settled in, giving the omega an accusatory look for telling him such a thing. “Aaaand there goes my appetite. Thanks princess. That’s great. Really swell. I’m canceling lunch.”

Rhys ignored the alpha’s look of disgust and faux-distressed sounds, concentrating on more pressing issues. “I don’t understand any of this. Jack… I’ve got to call home. I need to let my uncle know that that wasn’t me and there’s a conspiracy. He needs to know I’m okay. I have important projects on the line here.”

“Forget calling home, I’m guessing this means my replacement isn’t coming if these are the same knotheads behind Alpha-Omega Solutions. That sound like something they’d do?”

Rhys crossed his arms and gave the CEO the absolutely dirtiest look he could muster, heat entering his cheeks at Jack’s flippant attitude where he was concerned. “ _Screw_ your replacement, Jack. I need to get home!”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Rhysie, kitten, this is already _old-”_

“This was just last week!”

“And it _took_ three days for me to even get it,” the older man pointed out with a huff. “I’ve _told_ ya, cupcake, it takes time to get anything from that side of the universe. Even with my resources. I know it sucks, but you’re old news, baby.”

A helpless look came over the omega’s features at the older man’s words. 

This was wrong. So, so wrong. Was _that_ what was supposed to happen to him? A kidnapping and a crash to take him out? Frankly, he didn’t think the idiots at Vasquez Industrial were smart enough to coordinate this kind of effort. Seemed like the easy thing would have been to just murder him in his bed. Maybe they’d intended to ransom him but there’d been a mix up while they were storing him, and he actually ended up shipped out and they had to fake his death? Because someone was definitely covering their ass, that much was lucidly clear.

Which meant his kidnappers knew he was missing. How had they gotten his old arm in the first place?

Jack was tugging his current arm before succeeding in pulling the younger man into his lap. Rhys was torn between wanting to bite Jack out of frustration, and wanting to soak up the support of the older man’s body behind him. He settled for pouting as the alpha wrapped a comforting arm around his waist and his hand on Rhys’ shoulder, a deep-throated hum as Jack nosed about his neck.

“Rhysie, baby, don’t worry so much.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

“Look at it this way: there’s nothing you can do right now, pumpkin. Yeah, sucks finding out you’re dead, but nothing for it.” Jack scented the side of his neck while Rhys whined at his words. Hardly the pep-talk he wanted or needed. “I’ve got my contact on it. Just stick with me and we’ll figure it out, okay?”

Rhys snorted as the tip of Jack’s nose traced his skin, relishing in the comfort of being scented even as his world was being further turned upside down. This wasn’t a good thing to be happy about. None of it was. His voice held a gruff, accusatory tone to it even as he leaned into the older man’s touch. “You mean stick around so people will leave _you_ alone, and my company crumbles in the meantime without me.”

“It’ll only crumble until the replacement gets here,” the CEO said with a laugh, smoothing the hand on Rhys’ shoulder across his shirt to encompass the younger man’s throat possessively. “You have an uncle to watch over things, right? Just hang out ‘til then. Think of how funny it’ll be when you make your grand re-entrance.”

“And when is that even supposed to be? What if there _is_ no replacement coming?” 

Rhys wasn’t proud of the way his voice cracked as Jack’s fingers held him just firmly about the neck, big palm over his voicebox feeling the vibration of his words as he spoke. Adrenaline from anxiety and excitement both started to flow through him, only compounded by Jack’s warm body and rich alpha scent encompassing him. His heart beat a little faster in his chest that he wrote off to the news that he was freaking _dead._

He needed those hands Jack had around him right now, holding him back against him, or he was going to freak the fuck out.

“If they don’t, I’ll personally deliver you to that side of the universe to burn Vasquez Industrial to the ground for making me wait.” Rhys snorted, a thrilled little shiver going up his back as Jack pressed a kiss to his neck. “Two birds, one huge, idiot-crushing stone, kitten.”

“You _are_ going to get me back.” It was more of a question than a statement, wanting confirmation that conflicted with the alpha’s possessive actions. Rhys gave the older man a concerned raise of his brow as he looked at him over his shoulder, his words making his point: just because they slept together did _not_ mean Rhys was staying here. It was what it was, and that was it.

“You know,” Jack posed, eyes focused on the healing cut on the younger man’s pouting lips, “As far as anyone on Crius is concerned, you’re _dead,_ buttercup. You _could_ just accept it,” he suggested casually, a wily smirk as his eyes moved from the omega’s lips to his eyes. “Move on from your piddly little company, hang out here, shoot stuff down in the gallery or whatever gets your rocks off.” The alpha gave him a dirty chuckle and tapped his fingers rhythmically against the omega’s neck. “I’ve got a couple ideas about what gets _your_ rocks off, princess.”

Rhys leaned more forward so he could turn and give the CEO a proper stare, Jack’s grip on his throat shifting so he was instead cupping the back of Rhys’ neck. The older man stroked the side of his throat with his thumb, but Rhys wasn’t going to let Jack’s implications rattle him, too concerned by the older man’s words to waste worry over _blushing_ over a few touches. There was a hell of a lot more to worry about right now than Jack’s leering advances. 

“ _Hang out?_ You better be making a crappy joke, Jack. I’m going _home_. I'm not staying here. That was our deal. I have my own company to think about.”

The older man gave a full body dramatic shrug as he still held the younger man in his lap. He removed his hand from Rhys’ neck to gesture with it as if _Rhys_ was the one being dramatic. 

“Geez kiddo, just trying to give you some options here. Not every day you find out you’re frickin’ dead.” At the unaffected stare Rhys continued to level at the older man, Jack sighed and settled his hand on Rhys’ thigh. “ _Yeees_ Rhysie, you’re going home. _After_ my replacement gets here.” He brought his finger up to point at the younger man. “ _That_ was the deal.”

Rhys didn’t like the way Jack said that, but he couldn’t find fault in it either. Jack’s arm tightened around Rhys’ middle, and the look in Jack’s eyes-- and the calculating smile- gave Rhys pause. He crossed his arms in his lap over Jack’s arm as he gave the alpha another distrustful look. 

“There better _be_ a replacement coming, Jack. I'm _not_ your mail order bride.” He motioned to the way the older man was holding him; the fact he was _in_ the alpha’s lap at all. “ _This_ changes nothing.”

Jack rolled his eyes, giving Rhys a firm stroke through his clothes with an exasperated sigh. “Have I given you _any_ reason not to trust me, pumpkin?” 

Rhys thought on that, cheeks heating a little as he honestly couldn’t think of anything-- with respect to _him_ attacking _Jack_ in the first place, and the older man’s homicide on his behalf the day before. Admittedly, Jack had more plusses on his side than minuses in regards to the omega. 

This had to be the weirdest conversation of his damn life, and now he was going to accuse the alpha further, because regardless of it all, Jack made him nervous. “Just because you haven’t done anything _yet_ doesn’t mean you’re not capable.”

The laughter was unexpected. The pleased, warm arms pulling him back snug against the older man were perplexing. Jack just pressed a kiss to the side of Rhys’ confused, frowning face, completely undeterred by the bewilderment in those mismatched eyes. “Paranoia looks good on you, cupcake. I’m so proud.”

Rhys snorted. “Seriously, Jack.”

“We made a deal, okay? We shook on it. So just _chill_.” Jack continued nuzzling him until the younger man was close to cracking a begrudging smile. His hands were gentle but firm, and his nipping kisses bordered on playful until he got a proper grin from the younger man. Seriously, this omega could lighten the hell up. “Just gonna have to earn your trust then, huh baby?”

The younger man snorted, even if a smile was on his face. “Don’t waste your time. I won't be here that much longer.”

“Aw kitten, then we better make the best of your little vacation shouldn't we?”

Rhys let Jack kiss him proper, a distraction from more pending worries welcome even if one of his current problems had his tongue in his mouth and was making pleasing shivers run up his back. Jack was really the least of his worries though. He had the whole of Crius to lose sleep over. Atlas’ guns, Vasquez Industrial, and his own faked death...

That didn’t matter right at that moment though. What mattered was Jack's warm, big hand on the back of his neck, his lips against Rhys’ throat, and the filthy words of promise he said they'd make good on once they were back home in his bed expensive bed. Yeah, _that_ was something worth focusing on.

\--

Rhys spent his free time in Jack's penthouse busy on the echonet looking over publically-available gun schematics and comparing them to what he remembered Atlas had.

The omega didn't spend too much time on weapons development himself, preferring cybernetics and robotics in reverence to his own mechanical parts. Crius was actually a very peaceful planet, probably owing to how far out they were from busier, more combative planets in the galaxies. There wasn't much use for even _half_ the variety of weapons a company like Hyperion had on hand, let alone the kind of demand to bother developing them in the first place. People just weren't that interested back home.

Rhys was trying to turn Atlas more towards useful, everyday tech. Luxury items to be sure-- Atlas boasted the best cappuccino machines and security systems out there- but also things that would make work more productive and industrious; such as his plans for a cybernetic left eye. 

Getting _that_ greenlit for funds hadn't been easy, but it was easier than his past attempts at more development for cybernetic _limbs._

The shareholders of Atlas just weren't interested in advanced prostheses, whether they could be useful aside from luxury items or not. Rhys’ arm was something he relied on not just for mobility, but technological aspects as well. And that had been his selling point: the everyday superiority of a cybernetic arm over flesh… even if his personal feelings were sometimes contrary to the matter.

If he could have kept his flesh arm instead of the mechanical creation that was now part of his skeleton, he would have. But that was neither here nor there. Just knowing his private opinion about himself, it proved hard to convince _others_ that there might be an audience for people _willing_ to chop off perfectly good limbs in exchange for advanced cybernetics. After all, he _had_ one and he’d rather opt for flesh.

The audience for such items _did_ exist though, just not in the quantities that helped get budget approval. His work with his arm wasn’t officially something Atlas intended to mass-produce, and any tinkering or designs was primarily his own hobby. He had to pursue other avenues of cybernetic invention to keep his department in funds.

His left eye had been irreversibly damaged when he’d lost his arm, but it wasn’t immediately, visibly apparent-- and even less people knew about it. In his pursuit to regain his vision and also bolster the department he’d expanded when he’d taken over, he was able to make a _different_ case in selling the development of the cybernetic eye. 

The extra processing power added to one’s brain, and immediate access to data through a port system had actually been a huge selling point for him-- and also tied into increased functionality with his defunct projects regarding limbs. So far he projected that one could be 21% more efficient in their work, and that was a _huge_ difference to programmers, data-miners, accountants, or _whoever_ in terms of what they could accomplish. He equated this to a prospective rise in stocks due to exponential rise in efficiency and invention, and that, he’d told stockholders, meant an increase in _capital._

He had his budget to work with, but still, cybernetics weren't weapons; weren't something temporary and fun with the added boost of an ego-trip. Trying to wrest budget funds for _his_ projects away from a marketable interest in leisure-shooting had been difficult. But the fact was, he’d _done_ it.

And now he was presumed dead, stuck here on Helios, brain working overtime on why the hell Hyperion guns were being paraded as Atlas creations and why no one had caught onto this yet. He was scared his cybernetics budget would be gutted without him there to lead the projects, and further concerned about the legitimacy of their weapons department. He had a lot of questions and zero answers.

He wanted to ask Jack about the guns. He really _really_ wanted the older man’s input in this situation. Surely Jack might see whatever it was he was missing here. And the alpha _did_ more or less tell Rhys to trust him. Maybe he _could._

He growled to himself as he sat at Jack's rarely-used dining room table, knowing there was something obvious sticking out but he couldn't pin it. 

“Heya cupcake, whatcha got goin’?” Jack asked of that growl, head turned to watch the younger man from his comfy spot on the couch.

“Nothing. Just… Nothing.”

“How would you like _something_ going?”

Rhys didn't need to look up to hear the filthy smirk that went with the invitation in his voice. “I'm busy, Jack.”

“Busy? You’re still all bent out of shape about being dead, huh kiddo? Come _ooon_ , that’s yesterday’s news. Wanna feel _alive?_ ”

Rhys ignored him, trying to remember when the latest gun designs at Atlas had been released compared to the guns of Hyperion, making a note to himself with a question mark behind it.

Jack wasn't one to be easily deterred though.

“I’m talkin’ about bangin’, buttercup. Doin’ it. A little R&R and some _B and J._ Haha _ha get it?”_

Rhys rolled his eyes. “There are kind of more important things on my mind, here, Jack.”

“More important than your cute little dick in my mouth? And my knot in your--”

“Just ‘cause we slept together a few times doesn't mean I’m gonna drop everything to--”

“Oh come on, I knotted you at _least_ five times the last two days. Way more than a _few,_ baby. We can up that average though if you want.”

Rhys looked up with pink cheeks at the older man where Jack was sprawled out on the couch looking every bit as tempting as he tried to make himself. He chose to frown at the unrepentant grin Jack was giving him as the alpha pet the couch next to him invitingly. The look on his face was beguiling-- Jack could probably charm a snake out of its skin with that look- but Rhys really was focused on concerns more pressing than getting his dick sucked. 

Not that Jack’s offer wasn’t entirely enticing.

“Really, Jack?”

“Yes _really_. What, you can't count?”

Rhys rolled his eyes, cheeks heating though he went back to his own problems.

“How about we watch a movie about me and make out during the awesome parts then, pumpkin? _Get it?_ ‘Cause it's _all_ awesome.”

Rhys snorted, begrudging smirk on his face, and gathered up the stuff he'd been working on and relocated to his small bedroom, all the while ignoring Jack’s desperate hollers after him of “Oh come _on,_ that was _funny!_ Don't leave me Rhysie, it's so lonely! Come _oooon._ Ah dammit, just sit and watch tv, _we can leave the dick sucking for later!”_

He ignored the messages Jack sent him on his comm-- imploring he join him on the couch- instead trying to make sense of everything his life was starting to become. He couldn't help but laugh to himself as Jack’s messages became slightly more pathetic and tapered off altogether as the older man must've found something more entertaining than bothering the omega.

Rhys’ solitude didn’t make much of a difference in actually finding things out, though, and his sleep was troubled and filled with images of charred corpses and stolen weapons.

\--

“Hey. Pumpkin. _Hey...”_

Rhys didn’t respond from where Jack was probably watching him from his desk, the tone of the alpha anything _but_ important, and everything inclusive of bored. 

_AKA:_ not Rhys’ problem.

“Talkin’ to _you,_ sweetcheeks.”

The omega wondered how long he could rest his eyes before the older man accepted his solitary boredom. He could hear Jack fidgeting about in his seat; feel his laser-gaze on the omega even without Rhys opening his eyes. The CEO wanted a distraction, and Rhys wanted a little calm before the next outing.

Being ignored when he was bored didn’t sit well with the alpha, Rhys had learned. Like a five year old demanding acknowledgement. Any hope he had that Jack would go back to his work in-between his escorted outings should have died before it sprung.

“ _Rhysieeee…_ I know you’re not sleeping over there, kiddo.”

Rhys snorted, smiling despite himself. “I’m _resting,_ Jack.”

“Good idea. Come take a load off in my lap. Ha, _get it?”_

“Cute, Jack,” the omega told him without sparing him a look. His head remained back against the couch with his eyes closed as he willed away a sensory headache. He hadn't gotten much sleep, and apparently not _everyone_ had gotten the message that Jack was a lost cause. There had been another two omegas today putting Rhys far more on edge than he already was down in Accounting, and Human Resources, and the lingering scent in his nostrils made him edgy and uncomfortable. The one in accounting had been particularly _bold_ in attempting to entice Jack. The stink of the omega with the glazed-over eyes and oily smile made Rhys’ skin crawl with concern.

He needed to calm himself down.

“Come oooon. You did real good down there. I think you've _more_ than earned a ride on my dick. How ‘bout it?”

Rhys opened his eyes to shoot the older man a condescending look with a tilt of his head, gaze patronizing. “You know, how you're actually still single is beyond reason.”

“ _Rhysiiiiiiie...”_

The omega raised a brow, giving the CEO an unimpressed look. “Are you _seriously_ whining?”

“Come on, we both feel better with my knot in you. Those idiots made _me_ feel all weird too,” Jack whined, shooting a beseeching, dramatic look towards the younger man at an attempt for sympathy. Rhys closed his eyes and resumed his rest on the back of the couch, unmoved by Jack’s-- _admittedly_ \- lame tactics. The older man smirked to himself. Okay then, more direct approach. “Wanna have sex in the big boss man’s chair? I don’t let just _anyone_ on this chair you know. You’d be like… the third person ever.”

Rhys opened his eyes to shoot the older man an incredulous stare to the heated look of persistence he was being watched with. “Jack. Everyone back home thinks I’m _dead_ , and my company is probably gonna defund my projects while I sit here waiting for someone else to try to put a knife in my back. I've kind of got _bigger_ things on my mind.”

He thought the big alpha was gonna say something showing an understanding of his worried mind, soothe him at the very least; tell him it would be okay. Maybe pull some joke about how he’d make him feel better if he was in his lap, which… okay, _maybe._ That might have actually worked. Rhys wasn’t made out of stone and all.

But he was giving the CEO more credit than he was due. 

“That's impossible cupcake. My knot is _the_ biggest thing around. Hands down.”

Rhys growled with annoyance, and Jack rolled his eyes, hands up in surrender before grumbling that Rhys was no fun, and his best lines wasted, and went back to whatever he'd been doing before propositioning the younger man. The omega _did_ spare a couple looks at the alpha to gauge his actual level of work, thinking that, yeah okay, maybe later he’d be in for some stress relief, and he was definitely all about cuddles. But only after that scent from the other omegas finally left his damn nose.

It was fun to thwart Jack _just a little,_ anyways. 

Jack's personal comm rang, and the older man paused in what he'd been doing to sit up straight and answer it. He was quickly powering everything down before ending the call and rising from his desk as Rhys did the same in anticipation.

“I've got to take care of something, kiddo.”

“Fine, what's it--”

“Nah nah. Don't get up sugartits,” the alpha told him as he was already walking across the office and past the omega without stopping. “Rest your eyes or your ass or whatever. I’ll be right back.”

\--

‘I'll be right back’ had turned into ‘I'll be another hour’, and _that_ hour had turned into two before Jack had _finally_ messaged him back to say he was on his way to fetch him. Rhys had waited another hour on top of that only to be angry as hell by the time the alpha actually showed up.

“ _What the hell, Jack?”_

“What?” the alpha asked, giving the bored-out-of-his-goddamn- _mind_ omega an innocent look. “You ready to blow this popstand kiddo?”

“‘ _What’? ‘What’, Jack?_ I have been stuck in here for _five_ hours. You told me you’d be right back.”

“Well, something came up. Thought you could use a break from being dragged all over this space station, sweetheart. Had a lot of stuff to do.”

“ _Five. Hours_ , Jack. _Five.”_

“Cool. Do any yoga? Take a nap?”

Rhys _had_ napped-- not for long, but yeah, it was one of the few things that had kept him from dying of boredom. “You said you’d be _right back_. Five hours is _not_ ‘right back’, Jack. Why couldn't you drop me at home instead? You have snacks and tv there. It’s _cold_ in here.”

“Honestly, it just didn't enter my mind, baby.” 

The unrepentant grin Jack gave him only further soured Rhys’ already crabby mood, convinced Jack was having a go at him. The omega could accurately draw Elpis from memory alone now, he’d spent so long stubbornly sitting in Jack’s stupid chair until the novelty of the offense had worn off. He’d had a nap, done more research into his own problems (until that caused another headache since he was getting _nowhere)_ , and had tried ( _unsuccessfully_ ) to leave the office to perhaps shiv Jack proper if he was able to locate the older man. 

That his numerous complaints in message form to Jack had gone completely ignored only fueled his aggravation.

“I'm here _now,_ though. You miss me? Eager to ruin some new sheets?”

\--

Rhys didn’t talk to the alpha the whole walk back to Jack’s penthouse. Whatever sheets Jack wanted to ruin, he'd have to break in himself as the omega was nearly _positive_ Jack had left him so long in retribution to being ignored himself. 

Rhys went to bed, shutting himself in the small room with pilfered snacks and refusing to come out, even as Jack kept sending him messages telling him about cool stuff on tv or that he could use a nice pretty omega to keep him company, or even _finally_ admitting that _maybe_ he’d left the younger man a _little_ too long, so come on out and let him make it up to him. 

Rhys typed up a perfunctory ‘goodnight Jack’, staring ruefully at his comm before erasing the acknowledgment and turning his comm off for the rest of the night.

Jack didn't wake him up the next morning with his usual holler, and Rhys was in a disgruntled hurry dressing only to realize Jack wasn't even _there_. The penthouse was empty except for him and a dead houseplant Jack kept telling him he meant to replace.

He sat in the older man’s living room with his comm in his lap, fully dressed and confused as he shot a message off to the alpha.

>>where are you?

The reply from the older man was almost instantaneous, and just as elusive.

<< taking care of sum things

Rhys rolled his eyes when no further explanation was forthcoming. Okay, typical Jack. 

He was glad he’d gotten to sleep in at least instead of being dragged somewhere earlier than usual. Far better than being left in the older man’s office for the better part of a workday. He was ready _now_ though. 

>>are you coming back for me?

<< no  
<< enjoy ur day off kiddo

He frowned at the succinctness, but supposed this was exactly what he’d asked for yesterday. If Jack had things to do that _didn’t_ involve him-- which was a damn first for all the time he’d been there- then fine. Better to be there than being stuck in the CEO’s huge, chilly office. Though he did wonder why Jack didn’t have him with him for the second time in as many days. He had one job to do, but Jack would rather go it alone.

He was actually surprised Jack was leaving him alone for the first time in his penthouse, too. The older man liked to bitch and whine and complain and guilt him when Rhys didn’t _want_ to go to another meeting or demonstration or presentation. But now here he was _voluntarily_ leaving the omega behind, and locking him in his own home to boot. 

There was a niggling, worrying feeling to that, but Rhys simply brushed it off as Jack being Jack, doing whatever mercurial whim took him when he suddenly got the urge. Jack had foolishly left him in care of the older man’s snacks, so frankly it was the alpha’s loss overall. The omega wouldn’t let it bother him.

Rhys changed into something more comfortable, spending the day binging both tv and the ice cream Jack had in the fridge. When tv lost its appeal, he tried to throw himself back into his research on Hyperion’s guns, but he _really_ needed to broach the topic with the alpha to get anywhere. There were just too many unknowns that he needed to cross check, and the information he wanted he didn’t have the right security level to access.

That was okay. He could set it aside for now, try to concentrate on how he’d broach the topic with Jack; the idea further worrying. He’d need to be careful, gauge the CEO’s mood, and this change to their routine worried him more than he wanted to admit. Right now though he felt so wary on the topic that he didn’t want to even _think_ on it. He’d deal with that later, find other distractions.

Rhys had spent _maybe_ too much time on the message boards dedicated to Jack (purely out of sheer boredom and nothing else) when he decided to check in with the older man; see what he was doing, ask when he’d get in, what sounded good for dinner, and rubbing in that he ate all the chocolate ice cream Jack liked.

No answer had been forthcoming for _hours_ , and that resulted in the younger man stewing over that only communication he’d had with the alpha all day. 

Had Jack possibly meant things sarcastically? Was he teasing him, making him stay home? Or was silence the equivalent punishment for the silent treatment Rhys had given Jack? The alpha was that petty at times, but not having Rhys with him really didn’t help this image he was trying to cultivate at all. It would be better for Jack if Rhys was _with_ him. 

This puzzled the omega, and made him worry, a feeling of loneliness creeping up his back.

Rhys was alone on this space station far away from his home planet with only Jack for company, but he never _felt_ lonely until now. Jack’s big mouth wasn’t around to fill the space with dirty things that made him laugh and stroke his own ridiculous ego. 

The workday had been over for some time, and if he kept shooting looks to the door, it was just curiosity, not hopefulness. But programming on tv went to crap, and his eyes got tired, so he checked his comm a final time, turned everything off, and went to bed.

\--

The alpha hadn't come back until _very_ late indeed; far too late to have expected Rhys to wait up for him, let alone hang out or anything else.

Not that Rhys _had_ waited up for Jack. He listened intently though, looking at his comm expectantly, and heard the older man’s footsteps and Jack’s bedroom door closing. The alpha just went to bed without bothering him, and Rhys couldn’t help but feel just the slightest twinge of disappointment at that. 

At the very _least_ Jack normally would have shot an answer off to one of his many messages, even if he thought Rhys was asleep (or more likely, he didn’t _care_ if Rhys was). At most, Jack would have bust through the door to tell him to stop jerking off or some other accusation before laughing and probably saying some stupid, smiling joke in invitation to _his_ bed.

But he hadn’t done any of that. Not that the omega was at all an expert on Jack’s behaviors, but he _did_ understand his moods, and observed the man far more intimately than others had the opportunity, and this went against what he’d come to be familiar with. It wasn’t just his imagination, and it all suddenly made him very very anxious.

The impulsive relationship between them had taken a weird turn for some reason, or at the very least, it seemed to have lost some momentum. The companionship turned fledgling friendship seemed to be breaking down, leaving him on unsteady ground. It felt like walls that had previously been broken down were being put back up.

Rhys wasn’t happy about it, and that aspect surprised him. 

The omega wasn't one to encourage whirlwind affairs, but he had _fun_ with Jack. Had fun _sleeping_ with Jack, too. Sex with the alpha was filthy and silly and felt _safe_ , which was the weirdest thing about it. He liked the security he felt in the dangerous alpha’s hands. The affectionate tactility where his person was concerned. And the dirty messages Jack would send to his comm when he was bored and in the same room as Rhys never failed to make the omega smirk. The ones he sent back always made Jack laugh.

Even escorting the older man about boring meetings and antagonistic public viewings with in-heat omegas was a lot more fun than sitting alone by himself. Even _with_ the alpha’s cocky ego and lame puns. 

Despite the alpha’s shortcomings-- overabundance of ego being a _huge_ one- Rhys _liked_ Jack’s company. Hanging out with the older man was more than comfortable and something he could admit to himself as enjoying-- whether that involved sexual flirtation or not. After being nearly attached at the hip the entire time he’d been there, he felt the alpha’s absence acutely.

In all the uncertainty in his life right now, Jack was a constant and surprising comfort. But whatever sort of familiar rapport they had between them was slowly eroding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adore comments ;D Actually the ones from the last chapter _really_ helped me flesh more of the overall story out ahahah Leave me some love babes ;D
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well lookee here, an update! :D Sorry, it's kind of short, but this chapter needed to be done this way :3 May the next chapter be longer HOO!

The sudden distance Rhys felt between them wasn't just in his head like he'd thought.

The following day, the change between them was palpable. Jack held his arm instead of his hands, linked without witty remarks; more ceremony than anything. A swiftness to the alpha’s steps that said he’d leave Rhys behind if the leggy omega couldn’t keep up. A noticeable lack of smalltalk and overt-flirtatiousness that Rhys had come to find familiar and reassuring. In it’s place was a new deep-thinking Jack, and it made Rhys ill-at-ease.

Jack had breakfast waiting as per routine, but he hadn’t woken Rhys up personally. Luckily, the omega had set an alarm, refusing to be left behind again without some kind of warning. Whatever closeness they'd come to have was now a gaping chasm, the familiar rapport destroyed.

He didn’t think he’d miss it this much, but things really left him wanting.

Jack seemed almost wary of him in a way, watching what he said; more formal like when he’d first been uncrated. Rhys didn’t know how else to describe it, and it left him on edge; lonely.

Jack didn’t seem _mad_ , but it was impossible to tell _what_ the older man was thinking. Maybe the Jack he’d come to know _wasn’t_ the full package deal like he thought. Maybe this _was_ normal for the CEO-- an overbearing friendliness driven back to a nearly-brusque formality. He hadn’t been with Jack _that_ long after all; he had no idea what might actually be ‘normal’ for the CEO.

Rhys wondered how he'd ever thought it was a possibility to brace the topic of the guns with Jack. The way the older man kept their interaction to publically-acceptable familiarity for show-- but didn’t push his company on him once they were home- _really_ irked the omega. He felt abandoned, the feeling only reinforced when Jack actually _did_ leave him behind. 

He wanted to go home. He missed Crius. He missed his guard dogs and his stupidly soft bed and the forests and lakes.

But there was nothing he could do on that matter but wait, and in the meantime he had a job to do to that end: act as Jack’s ‘devoted little one-and-only’ while the alpha procured information to help him get back home.

He could _do_ that at least, whether Jack actually _enjoyed_ being seen with him or not; that was one thing he still had control over.

Or so he thought.

Rhys was all dressed and ready the next morning, alarm gone off without a hitch, and while Jack gave him a head-to-toe look over of appreciation, his voice was anything but. “Nah, not today, kiddo. Take another day off, yeah?”

“I thought I was supposed to be seen with you. That was the whole point.”

“Yeah yeah, but I’ve mostly got work in my office. No meetings.” Jack snorted humorlessly to himself. “Or at least, no meetings with anyone dumb enough to try inducing a heat. You’ll be bored stiff.”

Rhys waited for the expected joke to follow, a light innuendo _at least_ , but none came. He frowned at the alpha both for defying his expectation and also at being left behind again.

 _Fine_. If Jack didn’t want him with him, then Rhys was going to make some use of that salary the older man was giving him to pretend to be his nearest and dearest. “Okay then. Then I’m going shopping.”

Jack gave him a raise of his brow as if he didn’t understand him. “You’re doing what now?”

“ _Shopping_ , Jack. You’re paying me and I intend to use it.” He crossed his arms, a sudden sense that he was going to have a fight on his hands to get what he wanted. “I don’t know what good Hyperion cash will do me on Crius but I’ll be damned if I don’t have anything to show for all of-- _this_ ,” he finished with a flourish of his arms.

Jack’s face set in a deep frown, and he met Rhys’ mismatched eyes with his own, unblinking. “Order what you want off the echonet, cupcake. I’ll have someone bring things up when I’m back.”

Rhys sniffed at the idea. “I _want_ to go to an actual _store_ , Jack.”

“Buttercup-” Jack laughed a little condescendingly, “-maybe you’re not getting it,” Jack said impatiently, “but anything you could ever want you can get just fine _from here_. If nothing fits or you don’t like the color or whatever your picky little ass is planning, buy it _all_ and just keep the good stuff.” Jack huffed as if it was obvious. “I’m paying you enough to get greedy so _do_ it. Geez.”

It was obvious, standing there and looking at one another challengingly, that it wasn’t about Rhys and his ease of ordering luxury goods: Jack had no intention of letting Rhys leave the penthouse _by himself._

It wasn’t a decision the younger man would take lying down.

“I’m going out, Jack.”

“You’re staying _here,_ Rhys.” The omega growled at Jack’s announcement and the noise aggravated the alpha. Jack jumped up a little quickly, startling Rhys. He cleared his body from the path to the door and brandished an arm as if to usher his exit, daring Rhys to go. “You want someone to pick you off in some shitty department store? Be my _guest,_ cupcake. I’m sure an assassin would _love_ the opportunity.”

Jack’s tone was flippant though his teeth were bared, and Rhys wasn’t about to test the threat display on his face over the sarcasm of the alpha’s words. Rhys just growled again and left the room in frustration to shut himself up in his bedroom, slamming the door petulantly and not even caring. He wasn’t going to give the alpha the option to act like he had Rhys’ best interests at heart.

He listened for Jack to leave, stewing silently as he sat on the bed facing the door in expectancy of some sort of further argument. 

Nothing forthcoming besides the sound of Jack noisily leaving, and Rhys left his own room with intent to _break_ something (though he admitted he was still too intimidated by the man to actually try _that)._

Instead he had some fun opening the snacks Jack thought were safely hidden from him, and dumped them down the quietly-efficient garbage disposal unit in a huff.

The alpha’s secret snacks destroyed in a true display of pettiness, Rhys then went on a buying spree the likes of which had never been seen. He charged it _all_ to the CEO’s account; things he didn’t even _like_ that bordered on tacky just to waste Jack’s money. The icing on the cake would be seeing the older man’s expression when things eventually arrived. The bigger and tackier, the better. That was an exchange he was looking forward to.

He made a decent dent in the account by the time he felt better about things, and smirked to himself as he treated himself to another test of the capabilities of Jack’s hot water heater. Hopefully there’s be nothing left for the alpha by the time he left work.

\--

Jack was home around the usual time, sparing the omega a surveying glance where Rhys was ensconced in the couch corner fully ignoring him, eyes glued to the tv. 

Rhys’ body language spoke that he was still peeved, though the alpha was noticeably subdued from their earlier argument, and greeted him with a nice neutral ‘hey’ as he tiredly went into the kitchen to scrounge up dinner.

“...hey,” Rhys responded back flatly, still not looking at the older man. He was ignoring him so hard that it was painfully obvious that he was actually paying attention to the alpha’s movements about the space. He didn’t know if Jack noticed or just didn’t care, but he didn’t react when the older man came to sit near (though not too close) on the couch with a cold burrito.

Jack took a bite that he _relished_ since he’d forgotten to eat lunch, grateful the takeout he’d brought home last night hadn’t been prey to Rhys’ mood. It would have been much better _warm_ , but he was so freakin’ starving it didn’t matter. 

He was halfway through the burrito by the time he decided to speak to Rhys, the omega’s gaze stuck on the tv as if the infomercial for upside-down weight-training had him _riveted._

The omega couldn’t have been more obvious if he’d been staring directly _at_ Jack, but the alpha tread carefully, testing the waters for chatting.

“Sooo… Get any shopping done today?” Jack asked through a half-chewed mouthful.

“Yup.”

The older man frowned to himself as Rhys still didn’t look at him and also didn’t elaborate. Conversation finished already, huh? He was still upset, then. Jack wouldn’t let it get him down though. “Buy anything fun?”

“You’re out of milk,” Rhys responded instead, switching the channel to something-- _anything-_ he could more-convincingly watch. Jack’s gaze was stuck on him-- that much he could see from his peripheral vision- and he was too damn stubborn to engage with the alpha even when it was pathetically obvious that Jack was _trying._

“Buy any?”

 _That_ got Rhys’ attention, the omega’s flat expression turned on the older man in a completely unimpressed manner. 

It aggravated Jack to be looked at like that, but it also just slightly amused him. No one dared give him _that_ kind of look unless they didn’t plan to live for much longer, and here Rhys was doing it in _pajamas_ on his very own couch. It was like Day One all over again, except Rhys only _glared_ daggers at him instead of trying to stick him.

The smile spreading subconsciously across the CEO’s face was met with a frown, and Rhys vacated his spot and tossed the remote towards the alpha.

Jack was undeterred. “Going out to get some?”

Rhys stopped in his procession to his room, shooting the older man a venomous look over his shoulder. “As if I _could._ ”

Jack sat there alone still staring at the spot the omega had vacated a few moments prior. He shoved the rest of his burrito in his mouth and made a couple decisions to try and get back in Rhys’ good graces.

\--

“Wakey wakey princess. What? Think you’re on a vacation? Think again, it’s time to work cupcake!”

Rhys blearily looked up at the alpha in his bedroom, wondering if he’d forgotten to lock the door or if it even mattered at this point. 

It was earlier than usual, and more to the point, _Jack_ was waking him up again. 

The alpha was already gone from his room as Rhys was sitting up and groggily rubbing at his eyes wondering if this was still a dream. When Jack came back with coffee and ordered him around more with annoyance, Rhys decided that he was very much awake, and went about his morning routine lacking the brain power to question Jack’s mercurial changes in behavior.

\--

There were several meetings lined up for the day, the first one in a room with employees who also seemed to be feeling the earliness of the morning. 

The second was back in Jack’s office where Rhys was nearly bored to tears as he had to listen to some middle manager types rattle off numbers and projections and accounting issues that the alpha actually seemed to pay attention to. Rhys wondered if the older man was doing it on purpose, making him sit in on these types of things.

The third meeting was down in some lab that was freaking _freezing,_ and he clung to the older man’s arm for body heat regardless of the expressions of triumph Jack unashamedly shot his way. Rhys didn’t care how weird things between them were, he was _cold._

Rhys stopped counting the meetings after lunch, wondering ruefully if Jack had them all scheduled to coincide with Rhys’ own presence after so many days of absence. The younger man was on edge, head spinning with the change of topics and departments as he was dragged along, and he took that snippiness out on anyone and everyone, including the CEO.

Jack held his actual hand instead of his arm after the clinging during the morning, though it made something inside Rhys bitter at the gentle, familiar gesture and squeeze of Jack’s fingers entwined with his own. 

Rhys was visibly frustrated, anyone could clearly see. 

He snapped at anyone that got too close to Jack more out of annoyance with this whole situation he was in than of any deference to the older man. 

How long had he been going through this routine already? Fending off those who thought they even had a _sliver_ of a chance with the alpha? How much more numerous would the messages on those fan boards be until the point was finally made for others to _stop_ throwing themselves at Jack?

The ripe scent of omegas on the cusp of heat stung at Rhys’ nose with a desperation that rode up the younger man’s spine. Rhys couldn’t take being in their cloud of unashamed ambition for much longer; he needed to sit this one out. 

He interrupted a demonstration to take Jack’s masked face between his hands. The motion silenced those in the room to nervous sputters as everyone was unsure of what to do or how to proceed-- after all, nobody had _ever_ seen another person lay hands on the CEO. Jack himself looked at the younger man with some shock, allowing the touch in curiosity of what Rhys might do next.

Rhys moved the CEO’s head in a perfunctory tilt to the side to mark the alpha with a less-than-gentle bite to the jaw. It was such a clear display of territoriality that the room went dead silent. Keeping his hands on Jack, he gave the other omegas in the room a look of threat that promised bodily harm, sparing glances at the others as well. Rhys then excused himself to a chair just outside the display room like he hadn’t just made the announcement that Jack belonged to him.

The bite had gotten a growl out of the alpha as Rhys left, watching the younger man’s ass as Jack’s heart sped up; annoyance warred with a deep-rooted pleasure, and he touched the spot Rhys bit him with mirth. 

Jack watched Rhys sharply after that through the glass, only paying half-attention _at most_ to the things the department heads were telling him in vain. The omegas in the room kept a wary distance as they performed their roles. Jack carried _Rhys’_ designation, strong and obvious to everyone in the room. Their quick, cautious glances to the amber-haired omega playing games on his comm didn’t go unnoticed by the CEO. Outside the room or not, they kept their distance in submission to Rhys’ claim.

Jack was turned on by the situation as all hell, but the younger man wasn't having anything to do with his advances. Jack’s thoughts were focused on the things he wanted to do to the younger man-- _with_ the younger man- instead of the prospective new energy containment shields this team was trying to demonstrate to the CEO. 

Getting back into Rhys’ good graces suddenly moved up to priority number one.

\--

Jack held out for the entirety of the demonstration, eyes never straying very far from the omega outside the glass as he barely paid the others any attention.

Jack couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he left the peons he’d listened to behind, approaching Rhys while the omega ignored him in favor of his comm.

“Rhysie.”

Rhys saved his new high-score under ‘Rhys-Winz’, closing the game he’d been playing to get to his feet and give Jack a long-suffering look. “Where next?” he asked tiredly without looking at Jack. He’d given up asking ‘is this the last one’ after the fourth meeting. 

“ _Baby.”_

Rhys raised a brow at that, aiming a schooled look of detachment at the older man, though his cheeks went slightly pink at the heat in the alpha’s eyes. 

After so many days of arm's-length closeness, he hadn’t been expecting to be looked at like _that._ For Jack to give him what was _clearly_ bedroom eyes just about destroyed Rhys’ resolve.

 _Jack left you locked up and bored,_ Rhys reminded himself. _This is about business, not pleasure._

Whatever fun he’d had, that's all it was. Rhys had a job to do, and though it was great initially messing around, he didn’t want to get swept back up in Jack’s moods again. He wasn’t sure he could handle feeling attached to the older man only to be left behind once more if _this_ was the normal way Jack operated.

He gave the CEO a sour look. “ _What?_ Don’t we have somewhere else to be?” Rhys’ voice was maybe a bit snappier than intended, and he tried to cover the fact by retreating back the way they’d came in hopes of finding the next meeting.

Jack’s sigh of exasperation greeted him from behind, the alpha quickly pulling up next to him to give him a heated frown of confusion as they stopped.

“Okay kitten, what the _hell_ is your problem here? I’m getting an awful lot of mixed signals.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Um, what the hell was _that_ then?” Jack motioned behind them back to the pristine doors they left behind. “You're acting like you've got a stick up your ass, which I happen to know you _don't._ And then you do _that_.” Jack rubbed at his jaw where Rhys had bit him, fingers pressing into flesh and mask both and nostrils _still_ filled with Rhys’ scent. He was hoping Rhys wanted to make up, but the glare he was getting said the opposite.

Rhys huffed, cheeks burning with the weight of what he’d done. That _was_ a pretty intimate gesture there, but it had served it’s purpose. That was the entire point of the job-- and a job it was. They both needed to stop taking it so personally.

“I'm doing the job you asked me to do. Keeping omegas off you. _Everyone_ got the message you're not single anymore, Jack.” His voice was maybe a little higher than intended, trying to keep his embarrassment and personal hurt out of his defense, turning the conversation away from himself and back on the alpha. “I've kept up my side of the deal, what about _you?”_

Rhys couldn't talk to him about the guns. He felt stupid for even thinking it was a possibility. Whatever Hyperion guns were doing masquerading as Atlas creations, he’d have to solve that question for himself. This was a job, and his company was _his_ job, and he needed to keep things neat and separate lest the CEO get a mood to suddenly wipe out Atlas.

They weren’t even talking amiably except for basic necessary communication the past couple of days, let alone something big like _that._ Seemed like everything was coming to a head right here and now in this hallway.

“For friggin’-- _Ugh_ … is _that_ what you’ve got your panties in a twist over? You want news from back home?”

Rhys just snorted in response, turning his head and crossing his arms as Jack judged him. _Jack_ was the one that started acting weird, leaving him and playing with him. Rhys wasn’t going to let this get all turned around, and he wasn’t going to dignify the brush-off with a response.

The big alpha threw an arm around Rhys’ shoulders before reeling him in proper to hold him close chest to chest. Rhys remained stiff in his arms, though Jack could feel the way his heart pounded in his neck where the older man scented him. Expression of Indifference or not, he was excited to be held.

“Rhysie, you know for a fact how far out your crappy little planet is, right?” Jack only got a growl and the expected wriggling-for-freedom that only made him tighten his hold, lips whispering in Rhys’ ear. “And you know how long it takes to even _get_ information from there with my _fast,_ stupidly _expensive_ resources, right?”

“...can’t be that good if it’s taking _this_ long. Let me go,” the omega growled petulantly, still on edge from the omega scent but also reacting a bit more strongly to Jack’s own musk up close and personal. 

There were little shivers going up Rhys’ spine that the omega attributed to nerves, and not at all to the timbre of Jack’s voice in his ear. The warmth of the older man was comforting and reassuring. It made him want to burrow into the alpha’s arms, and this hot-and-cold behavior was just setting him up for more hurt, he knew.

Jack traced the tip of his nose up and down Rhys’ neck. “You know how much it sucks to receive reports only every few _days?_ ” the man growled out in minor frustration. The huff of humorless laughter Jack got told him Rhys did know how much that sucked. “Then you get that I’m doing my absolute best to stick to our deal, princess. Get those panties unbunched.” Jack scented up his neck one last time before loosening his hold the slightest bit. 

Rhys used the leverage to press the flats of his palms against Jack’s chest with a deep, silent frown. They returned one another’s gazes, distrustful to impatient, and Rhys’ fingers clenched just a bit in Jack’s vest.

“There’s no good news from home yet, pumpkin, okay? But I’ve got something else you might like. How ‘bout it?”

Rhys gave him a skeptical expression that didn’t leave his face until they were back down in the weapon’s lab where he’d recognized the guns. Rhys’ heartbeat picked up a little faster as he watched Jack with the slightest modicum of fear, his hand going clammy in Jack’s own. 

Did he know? Had Jack gotten news about the guns they used on Crius? The Atlas branded guns his company ‘made’ and sold to public and private interests alike? Rhys wished-- _wished_ \- he’d gotten to broach the topic with the man first, because this couldn’t be good. He knew he couldn’t lie about this-- he was a terrible liar and Jack would almost certainly sniff out any play at ignorance.

The lab was exactly as Rhys remembered it from before, a few fearful moments allowed for recalling the assassination attempt, before looking about the lab nervous and watching Jack with concern.

He spotted the married omega from the inventory room before, the young man obviously expecting Jack’s arrival.

“Bring it here,” the CEO said, the alpha standing there with what could _almost_ be described as an anxious expression-- except Handsome Jack didn’t do anxious.

Rhys looked between Jack and the omega who entered and then exited the inventory room, bringing the CEO something covered in sterile white fabric that he held presented on both hands.

Jack took it before handing it to Rhys-- Or he tried to at least, but the omega didn’t take it, watching in slight fear for any hint as to what was under there.

“Here.” Jack rolled his eyes as Rhys frowned, suspicious fear clear all over the omega’s face. “Will you take the damn thing, _please?”_

Rhys took a steadying breath before he did so, proud that his hands _didn’t_ shake as he unveiled the light object in his hands. The inventory-room omega took the white fabric before disappearing back to his usual post, leaving Rhys dumbstruck and alone with Jack. 

“What's this?”

“The JR-4000, kiddo,” Jack announced with a grin that somewhat faltered as Rhys continued to look at him like his mask had fallen off. He touched his chin self-consciously. “It’s a stun baton.”

“...Okay.”

Jack frowned as the younger man continued to hold it like he didn’t know what to do with it. The older man was quickly losing his confidence in this appeal, and it wasn’t doing it for him. “It's for _you.”_

“...what?”

“It's for you,” Jack repeated wryly, already trying to think of something better he could give the younger man as this was clearly falling flat. “ _Never_ to use on me or we'll have a _serious_ problem, but yeah. It's yours, pumpkin.”

Rhys looked back to his hands as his jaw hung open in incomprehension. 

It was a very nice gift. He knew what the weapons down here went for, being an expert on Hyperion’s _extensive_ catalogue now. But he didn’t understand _why_ Jack was giving it to him. 

His heart threatened to beat out of his chest as he looked between the stun baton in his hands and the alpha in front of him. “Why are you giving me this?”

“For your own self-protection. You like it?”

“...I thought you were mad at me.”

Jack’s frown deepened as he gave Rhys a prickly look. “I'm not mad at you, pumpkin. _You're_ mad at _me._ ”

Rhys’ face was open confusion. “No I…” he shook his head, looking down at the stun baton in his hand and back up at the alpha who was looking at him like a kicked puppy. “You're the one who started ignoring me for no reason. _You’re_ mad at _me.”_

“No I’m not,” Jack argued, arms crossing on his chest as his lips took on a combative quirk. “ _You_ keep telling me off every time I wanna hang out and do something…” 

Rhys was quiet a moment as Jack stewed, looking for all the world like a man out in the rain. Rhys traced his own mood and crossed it with Jack’s own wide definition of ‘hanging out’. “You mean for _sex_?” Rhys asked bluntly, his expression suddenly taking a turn for amused that the older man didn’t share. 

Rhys rolled his eyes at the stubborn tightness about Jack's lips and the way the older man actually wouldn’t meet his eyes. For as smart as Jack was, he was too dumb sometimes to understand basic human emotion. That he was trying to literally buy his way back into Rhys’ good graces only amused the younger man.

“For fuck’s sake Jack.” 

Rhys laughed-- actually laughed after days of frowns and tight-lipped scowls- and the older man got the distinct impression he was laughing at _him._ “This isn’t funny, Rhys. You’ve been avoiding me like I _wasn’t_ the richest most handsome guy on this station. Fun sexy things or not, you won’t give me the time of day here so obviously you’re mad about something. ...won’t even hang out and watch tv with me...”

“ _You_ keep locking me up,” Rhys pointed out, though his expression was lighthearted as they were finally _talking._ Actually airing whatever the hell had been happening the past few days was refreshing, washing Rhys’ frustration away.

“To keep you safe while I’m gone,” Jack blurted like it was obvious. “That’s why I got you that. If you wanna go out when I’m busy with stuff, then fine. Hyperion’s finest stun technology is great for would-be assassins. You’re shit aim with a gun so that’ll have to do.”

That actually stopped Rhys short, amusement leaving his face and looking up at the older man with outright shock. Jack was preoccupied with frowning at his own crossed arms as Rhys’ mouth hung open. “Are you being serious right now?”

Jack wouldn’t look at him for several moments, finding the lab far more interesting. “...If it’ll stop you from being a pain in the ass and put things back to normal, then yeah. You can go out if you don’t wanna stay in all day, but I don’t know why you _would.”_

“A pain in your-- Oh my god Jack you’re ridiculous.” Rhys ran a hand through his hair as the older man huffed, ready to defend himself and his actions, but Rhys stopped him short. “First you tell me everyone thinks I’m _dead_ back home, and everything surrounding me is a _big damn conspiracy_ I'm trying to figure out while we’re always three-days away from _news,_ Jack. How would you feel?” Rhys stated plainly, watching the alpha closely while Jack was still frowns. 

“Yeah, I _know._ Thought you’d like some company from the most handsome alpha out there, cupcake.”

Rhys huffed. “Doesn't exactly put you in the best spirits to mess around when everything's falling apart, in case you forget how us _normal_ people work.” 

Jack snorted as Rhys rolled his eyes. He looked back to the sleekly-designed baton in his hands, and back at the older man with some slight sheepishness. Because Jack _was trying._ In his own, stupid way and misunderstanding, Jack was _trying._

“But I’m not _mad_ at you, Jack… I mean, you leaving me without telling me is one thing, but… I’ve just had a whole _lot_ on my mind lately… Just, quit leaving me behind, okay?”

It was such simple misunderstanding it was stupid. Jack was trying to get back into his good graces, gifting him a weapon and some autonomy if it meant Rhys might not ignore him anymore, and all Rhys wanted was for _Jack_ not to leave him behind anymore.

A smile started blooming on Jack’s face as the older man uncrossed his arms, all the easy confidence of that damn smile easily flowing back in. “You saying you’ve missed me, kitten? Lonely without big Jack?”

Rhys couldn’t help the smile tugging at his own cheeks, the worry and concern the older man had veiled in his obnoxious ego still obvious to the omega looking at him. Jack’s own happiness at Rhys’ projected missing of him was infectious. Hanging out with Rhys-- whatever that may entail- meant so much to the alpha, and that realization reassured the omega in satisfying and confusing ways.

The thought only made Rhys grin. He placed a hand on Jack’s arm that the older man looked at with a grin, giving it a grateful squeeze before their gazes met again.

“Can I give you a thank you hug?” Rhys asked as he brandished the stun baton in his cybernetic hand, smiling into Jack’s face.

“Just a hug?”

“Well that depends on how well you show me how to use this thing,” Rhys told him with an encouraging smirk.

Jack laughed, and the sound was light and deep as he wrapped both arms around the omega in a full-body hug. There was a lot more groping of his ass than hugs traditionally had, but Rhys admitted that he liked it just the same. This might be stupid, allowing himself to get caught back up with Jack, but he was weak to those hands and he was starved for the comfort in the older man’s arms.

Jack still had both arms around the omega when they pulled apart, a toothy smirk of encouragement on his face as they looked at one another gaugingly.

Rhys wagered a kiss on the older man’s chin, giving him an expectant look. “So show me how to take down assassins with this thing. I want a full tutorial.”

Jack grinned and touched their foreheads together. “One all-inclusive hands-on private lesson with yours truly coming right up, buttercup.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two idiots have no idea what they're doing xD This will only end in tears AHAHA
> 
> Comments fuel and drive me! :D (no really I wrote this because a huge problem was solved for me thanks entirely to comments so heeeeeeeey) :D
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story may or may not get a lot longer than I'd initially planned because we still have so many things to do hehhe sooooo enjoy!

Jack sat at his desk downloading the latest data-packet from his contact on Crius. 

His head was resting on his right hand, his left drumming lazily on the edge of the expensive wood as his eyes darted between the download bar’s progress and footage from security cameras on his screen. 

He watched as Rhys browsed the aisles of an upscale clothing store in the hub, snorting to himself as the younger man was admiring a shirt with a design split down the middle-- half of the shirt was black, the other half a golden honeycomb. Rhys looked pretty pleased as he held the item up to himself in the boutique mirror, and Jack smirked as the omega was getting the attention of the shop keeper to obviously inquire about trying it on.

45% with sixteen minutes remaining… 

The wait for the encrypted files was _annoying_ , and Jack wondered if it was worth sending _another_ team out to install more satellites and communications towers to get his information more quickly. Crius wasn’t important in the long-term, and it was expensive to set up even less-than-direct communications between the planet and Helios, but _damn_ Jack was impatient and waiting days between reports wouldn’t do at all.

53% with forty-five minutes remaining…

Jack gave a scowl to the download bar, moving to change the angle of security cameras in the clothing shop for a better view of Rhys. _Sadly_ , the cameras didn’t peer into the changing rooms themselves, but Jack _was_ able to see Rhys come out to admire himself a few minutes later in the full-length mirror. Watching the omega move this way and that, tight black pants with the fancy shirt worn over it and the stun baton hanging from his belt, Jack gave an appreciative little huff.

Rhys cut a pretty little picture, no doubt about that. Jack zoomed in as much as the camera would allow, a smirk on his face as the omega admired himself. Jack didn’t think the younger man could have heard the camera move, but maybe the fact that every one in the store was facing Rhys _instead_ of doing the whole, you know, _surveillance_ thing clued Rhys in to the fact that Jack was currently watching him. 

Rhys stood up straight and looked directly into one of the cameras before smirking and giving it the finger. Jack’s bark of laughter echoed off the walls of his office.

87% with three seconds remaining… 

Jack grinned and kept his attention on the omega leaving the shop, co-opting different security camera feeds in the hub to keep an eye on the younger man as he strutted with his new outfit on and fancy bags in hand. Rhys stopped mid-stride in front of some store for, frankly, _nerds,_ and Jack rolled his eyes as the sharp-dressed omega made a beeline in.

99% and loading….

Jack was able to hack into the far-more-numerous cameras of the tech shop to get a view of Rhys from every angle, smirking as the younger man inspected some quality Hyperion tech before moving towards video games and hardware. Rhys set his bags down next to his feet for inspecting multiple items, indicating that he’d be there for some time, and Jack turned his attention back to the blinking encryption screen as everything was finally done.

He minimized the window on Rhys as he opened the data package, receiving more notes and photos, video, and what was being planned in terms of gathering more information after this drop. Jack smirked as he opened the video report accompanying the notes on display, the wry, serious expression of the purple-haired woman looking severely into the screen as she made the recording. He pressed play and her voice filled the office.

“Atlas has been around a few generations, and it has a pretty good reputation among the locals. I looked into the history of the company like you asked, and the man you have with you _is_ supposed to take over as CEO, but the actual role is vacant and a board of trustees oversees things together.

“The uncle’s been pulling the strings over here for the last twenty years or so as far as I can tell, but the kid is the majority stockholder. It could be a motive, but general consensus is it’s a close-knit family. They're all pretty upset he's dead.” She paused to look behind herself, scowling a moment before turning back to face the screen. “I found some more articles about the family. The uncle locked down planetary imports after a weapons hit on the family that--”

Jack’s personal comm rang, and he picked it up as he paused the message from Athena, annoyed at the interference but eager for answers to the things happening on _his_ space station. “Hey, talk to me. What did you find out?”

“Uh, there’s no reason to think this was an isolated incident, sir,” the man on the other end of the call immediately reported. “If it _was_ an employee motivated by jealousy, they would have been in the registry. Currently, we haven’t found any records of him, so there’s cause to believe there could be another attempt on your mate.”

“And this idiot had an employee card?”

“Yes, sir. It was coded from janitorial, but theirs have all been confiscated and accounted for. Their system is clean as well; last access cards made a month prior. Furthermore, we're currently sweeping the system to see where he might have made it or if the system was breached from another access point. We haven’t found anything yet so it might be sophisticated.”

Jack huffed with annoyance. That was _smart._ Janitorial had access to most floors of Helios due to the nature of their work. Perfect for any would-be assassin trying to finish a job. “Good. Have everything reissued and current cards destroyed.”

“Already on it, sir.”

Jack smirked to himself. “And what about traffic in and out of the station?”

“Everything checks out, sir. We’re still working on where he might have originated from but the personnel logs all point to Pandora. The team is reviewing footage of all outposts and transports to and from Pandora but it’s taking ti--”

“Nah-uh, cancel that. I want you tracing everything _but_ shuttles from Pandora. Especially anything coming from the Pallas quadrant. Big transport ships or supplies, stuff with crates a person might fit into. Review the loading dock footage from the past two weeks. I wanna know how long this rat was on my station.”

“But sir, that’s not even--”

Jack scowled to himself. “You have a hearing problem, cupcake?”

“No sir!”

The note of fear satisfying him, Jack continued on. “Good, glad we’re clear on that. I expect answers on anything in and out of this station in the past two weeks, got it? Anything big enough to hide in. Make sure the contents went where they were _supposed_ to; that shipments of bullets are _actually_ bullets. Got that kitten?”

“Yes sir, absolutely understood.”

Jack thought for a moment, and realized the crate Rhys had been sent in would probably be traced, though since it went directly to Jack, the little lie he was cultivating about his nearest and dearest wouldn't break to the half of Helios gunning for his dick. “And you keep your findings to yourself except when answering to _me,_ or I’m going to promote you to head of _external_ investigations. Ha, get it? Because your body will be orbiting Helios.”

“Yes sir!”

Jack ended the call and ran a hand through his hair. Who would even think to infiltrate the station by going through janitorial? He liked it. It wasn’t obvious, and said a lot about the type of person who’d even think to go that route. 

Though murdering the idiot that had attacked Rhys had sent a message to his _own_ employees, _that_ threat wasn’t even coming from inside Helios. Now Jack just needed to know if there were any other rats on his station to deal with.

At least the peons he employed understood that Rhys belonged to Jack. Those with good taste had even stopped trying to foist relatives on the CEO, so at least the omega’s presence was being taken notice of.

...Even if all the problems currently plaguing them started with ordering the younger man in the first place.

If he was being _truthful,_ he could blame everything on the morons always shoving people under his nose and trying to entice him to share a heat. He never would have met Rhys if he hadn’t been desperate to get them off his back.

Maybe he should thank them.

The doors to his office opened and Jack’s fingers flew over keys as he shut everything down, surprise tugging at his face as he looked from the camera footage he’d been ignoring to the omega strutting into his office. He turned off the feed from the tech shop and gave Rhys a grin. “Heya princess, have fun?”

“Anything is better than sitting here bored, Jack,” the omega pointedly teased, though the smile showed he wasn’t holding a grudge any longer.

Jack’s grin didn’t falter at the low-blow. “Don’t give me _that_ shit, kitten. I saw how much fun you were having.”

Rhys’ face broke into an equally-amused grin. “I _knew_ you were watching. Paranoia justified.”

Jack jumped up with an interested look at the array of bags at Rhys’ feet. “Paranoia is good for you, buttercup. It’ll keep you alive longer.” He pulled up in front of the younger man to run a finger over the side of the stun baton at Rhys’ hip. His eyes moved from the sleek weapon to the omega’s mismatched eyes, and he gave him a playful smirk. “Buy anything _fun?”_

“Not in any way you’re probably thinking,” Rhys said with a snort. “You can help me carry all this back, though.”

“What’s my reward for _that?”_

“I’ll let you be second player on the game system I bought,” the younger man laughed, a grin for the alpha as Jack’s hands slid over his waist to meet at the younger man’s lower back. “We don't even _have_ some of these games on Crius. It'll be fun.”

“How about something more _adult,_ pumpkin?” Jack quickly murmured, scenting up his throat and making Rhys snicker.

“Don’t act like you’re above video games just because I beat your high-score. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Jack. I’m just that good.”

“Nah, I'm just out of practice. Spending my time doing more worthwhile things.” He gave the younger man's ass a squeeze as if to drive his point home.

“Yeah right,” Rhys laughed, but he returned the nuzzling Jack was giving him, so infectious was the comforting touches. Jack nearly purred at the contact, the deep sounds of idle pleasure in his throat warming Rhys, and the omega slid his own hands around the older man.

Aside from some very heavy-petting and making out, they hadn’t exactly ‘made up’ yet. Rhys would have liked to the night before, but to his humiliation he’d fallen asleep next to Jack on the couch as they’d watched tv and talked at length, reestablishing the lines of communication. 

The kissing and groping had been fun, and laughing at the comedy Jack found on tv had been great, but the dinner the older man cooked for them coupled with beer and the alpha’s warmth at his side had Rhys passed out for the second half of the second movie they’d put on. 

He’d woken up in his own bed, startled surprise at that, but the kisses Jack pressed him into the mattress with the next morning had been promising, and he’d be lying to say he hadn’t been thinking about it all day.

So yes, Rhys was eager to properly make up with the older man and share his stupidly big bed again, and he might have bought himself a few _nicer_ surprises aside from the super snazzy outfit he was currently wearing. 

“Are you done for the day?” Rhys murmured as Jack kissed at his neck. Those deep-throated sounds of pleasure turned into a groan of annoyance.

“I’ve still got at least another hour,” Jack muttered against his skin, nipping at the black tattoo on the omega’s neck and making Rhys edge away with a ticklish smirk. Jack gave his desk a look of consideration before turning back to the omega. He _really_ wanted to listen to the rest of Athena’s message; give her more detailed orders and questions swirling in his mind about the omega before him. “You can go ahead without me, kitten. Don’t want you _bored,_ ” Jack slightly teased.

“If I don’t wait for you, I’ll have to carry all this by myself,” Rhys said with a wicked grin. 

“Seems like you’ve managed just fine until now, buttercup.”

“Yeah but now I’m all tired,” Rhys told him, lower lip stuck out in a pout that immediately got the older man’s attention. “You don’t want me falling asleep as soon as we get home, right?”

All thoughts of listening to Athena’s report fled Jack’s mind as a dirty look came over his face. He crowded the omega’s space once more to plant a kiss on Rhys’ lips that the younger man was eager to return. Jack broke it to stick his face in the omega’s neck once more, inhaling and sighing at the younger man’s scent. “ _Ooh_ I love it when you call it ‘home’.”

Rhys snorted at that, one of the hands wrapped around Jack’s back giving the older man a poke in the side. “Don’t read too into it, you’d call anywhere you’d been almost three weeks ‘home’. I _have_ a home.”

“You sure do, sugarpie,” Jack said with a slight tease as he nibbled Rhys’ neck and placed too-sloppy kisses there until the younger man was squirming with laughter in his arms. 

“I mean it, Jack,” Rhys reminded through snickers, flesh hand digging into the older man’s hair and scratching blunt nails pleasingly against his scalp. He ignored the way Jack’s words had curled around him like aromatic smoke, making his heart beat just a bit faster. _Home._ Rhys couldn't admit to himself that the definition at current was wobbly at best. “Don’t you have work to do?”

Jack growled at himself with annoyance. He couldn’t listen to Athena’s report and decide what to do next with Rhys sitting in here; not without being distracted by those long legs all spread out on his couch like Rhys was wont to do.

“Screw it, let’s go home. It can wait.”

Rhys snorted. “Is that how a CEO runs a company? Should I write _that_ down?”

“Hell yes, buttercup.” Jack pressed a loudly obnoxious kiss to Rhys’ forehead before letting him go with a smirk. “Hope there’s something fun in there. I know _that_ store,” Jack said in reaching for a bag Rhys quickly snatched from him.

“You can carry the game system,” Rhys said with slightly pink cheeks. “ _I’ll_ carry the rest.”

\--

Jack ordered their favorites from a few takeout places while Rhys squirreled his purchases away in his room and showered the day off him. 

Jack did the same, trying to get Rhys in his shower with _him_ , but the omega pointed out they’d probably never end up leaving it, and he wanted to set up his video games. And besides, Jack had left the office early. The night was young.

The doorbell rang, and Rhys was excited for food to have gotten there just in time for getting out of the shower. Shopping had worked up an appetite, and he was clean and comfortable in sweatpants and wanted to be fed and then spend the whole night having fun with the older man.

Jack gave his ass a swift little slap and smirked in passing to answer the door, but instead of the guy from his favorite chinese takeout, it was a package courier with Hyperion security as an escort.

And it wasn’t just one package, it was _dozens._

Rhys blanched as Jack looked confused, the deliveries of his anger-induced spree now _here._ He didn’t even think about it since making up with Jack; all the tacky, useless, _expensive_ things he’d charged to the older man’s account in order to incite his wrath. And now here it was to blow up in his face.

Rhys was standing there feeling like an idiot, his lips a thin, flat line of guilty chagrin as items big and small were being brought into Jack’s penthouse by a delivery service escorted by Hyperion guards.

The older man told them to set things just inside the entryway where they could, the serviceman not gawking (which Rhys figured meant he’d been there before) as things quickly piled up. 

Jack just stood there looking at Rhys with one raised brow, hands on his hips as boxes and crates, and even something huge and tall, and wide as the pair of them, wrapped in protective fabric was wheeled in and left obscuring the pathway to the door.

The entourage left as Jack shut and locked everything, coming back to the tallest item in the room and giving Rhys another prospective look. 

“Did you buy a department store or something sweet pea?”

“Uh… something like that...”

“What even is this?” Jack prodded the material of the fabric-wrapped item, and was surprised by the hardness behind it. “Okay I’m dying to know what you got. You’re so damn picky. Is it a statue of me?” Jack asked with a grin, shooting Rhys a leer that asked if it was a _naked_ statue in particular.

“Well… It _is_ a statue…” Rhys admitted, remembering in horror the details of the tackiest, most expensive things he could buy, all now lying about Jack’s living room like little bombs ready to explode in Rhys’ face. He was already mentally preparing his apology to Jack.

“Cool, let’s see what’s under here.” Jack started unwrapping the thing as Rhys made weak protests, the fabric coming off in long swaths to reveal a statue of an iridescent unicorn done up in diamonds and precious stones that glimmered in the light. Rhys’ face was red as he bit his lip, and Jack ran a hand over the side of the diamond horse, fingers playing in the grooves of the finely crafted statue. “Damn,” Jack breathed out, “you have got some _seriously_ good taste, pumpkin.”

Rhys made a slightly strangled sound of shock, eyes nearly bugging out as Jack gave him a look for the weird sound. Rhys ignored the expression to instead gape at Jack. He could see the wheels in the alpha’s head already turning, and it brought Rhys’ own thoughts to a halt. “You _can’t_ be serious.”

“What?”

“You _like_ this thing?”

“Uh, yeah.” Jack turned from Rhys to further examine the craftsmanship of the big statue. “It’s obviously expensive, anyone can see that, and horses are classy. Everyone important always has a big horse statue somewhere. This is probably the classiest thing that’s ever come through my door-- yours truly excepted… and maybe that cute ass of yours,” Jack finished with a grin. “Just… _damn_ that’s neat. What else did you get?”

It had never occurred to Rhys that his insults might fly right over Jack’s head, but the older man was either confused or outright _delighted_ by the things they opened.

One of the boxes had a sleek chrome dildo in it, the head of which looked like Jack’s own face; like someone had started off making a tiny doll of the man but got bored and ended it all in a long cylinder. The idea of it ever being _used_ was as uncomfortable as it was disturbing; hopefully just a collectors item.

Rhys was a lot less amused and a lot more mortified than he’d previously hoped.

“Seriously?” Jack said with a smirk bordering on amusement and genuine intrigue. He brandished the thing like a wand, making lazy circles in the air as he spoke. “I didn’t even know they made these,” he said with a chuckle. “You like my face down there that much, huh?”

Rhys turned red from both embarrassment and shame. “...I got it because I thought you were being a total dickhead… the uh… the irony and all…”

Jack surprised him by laughing, and laughing _hard_. He was holding his side, the dildo left to the floor as the older man wiped tears from his eyes and looked at the omega with mirth. “Shit Rhysie, this is better than mercenary day. What else did you get? Come on, we’re opening _all_ of these!”

As they went through box after box, pulling such useless items like gold-leaf toilet paper from fluffy packaging, Jack’s laughter and amused commentary only _slightly_ made the omega feel less bad about his purchases.

“Really kitten, this is funny as hell. Whiskey-flavored lube? What’s the point? Unless you’re gonna get drunk on ass,” Jack laughed, holding up some items for further inspection and grinning at others. “I’d say it’s a waste of cash but it’s pretty freakin’ hilarious.”

“Is it still funny if I charged it _all_ to your account?”

Jack gave him a look. “Wait, you saying _I_ paid for all of this?” He looked out over the vast wasteland of packaging and tacky, overpriced goods before giving the omega a serious expression. “I’m keeping the horse. You can get another one made but this one is _mine.”_

Rhys laughed, the tension finally broken and relief flooding through him while Jack still looked at the omega to ensure he realized he wasn’t joking.

“Seriously kitten. If you think you’re dragging this back with you, think again. Butt Stallion is going to be the first thing anyone sees when they walk in here from now on. Not that I have a lot of guests, but you get the picture.”

“ _Butt Stallion?_ ” Rhys laughed out further, disbelieving as Jack wrapped a possessive hand around a fetlock at the base of the statue. “It’s a _unicorn_ , and I think it’s a _girl_ unicorn,” he said through further laughter as the alpha peeked up under the statue to check.

“Doesn’t matter, Butt Stallion can be whatever she wants,” Jack stated seriously, and then turned a leer on the laughing omega. “You’re the only butt-unicorn around here, princess.”

Rhys didn’t even argue the point, he was laughing so hard. Jack’s priorities were so out of whack and completely unexpected that Rhys didn’t even know where to begin. His stomach hurt from laughing, his cheeks aching from smiling harder than he ever had in his life.

“Okay now _these_ are hideous,” Jack said as he pulled soft novelty socks from a package, one pair designed to make the wearer’s feet look like cat paws, another that was patterned with blue and yellow stripes and stars. 

“Hey! I bought those because I _liked_ them.”

Jack gave him an incredulous look. “You sure about that?”

“Shut up and give me the socks. They were expensive.”

“You mean someone thought to charge _money_ for this? _Expensive_ money?” Rhys snatched the socks from Jack’s hand while the alpha dug about and pulled out more offending items. “Okay I get _this_ because you’ve already got a cool robo-arm,” the alpha said of the robotic-patterned socks in his hand. “But this is just _wrong._ ” He pulled out a few more socks of the same pattern, but in different colors. The omega quickly snatched those as well. “Didn’t you think to get any naughty lingerie or something fun for the bedroom?” Jack asked with a waggle of his brows. 

“No. I was mad at you,” Rhys said succinctly, arms currently crossed over his taste in socks. Jack only snickered.

“So you _were_ mad at me.” He got a huff in response that only made the alpha’s grin widen. “Yeah yeah, I left you alone and being left behind by me would make _anyone_ mad. I get it, I’m pretty cool, won’t happen again.”

“Your ego is going to be taken down a few pegs some day.”

“But that day’s not today,” Jack said with a smirk, holding his hand out to the omega. “C’mere sweetheart. Let me show you how sorry I am.”

Rhys still stood there being purposely stubborn, though the way Jack raised one brow, then the other only to waggle them at him in a filthy leer broke the younger man, and Rhys willingly went into the alpha’s arms only to be tugged down to the floor and smothered in open-mouthed kisses that left him breathless.

Turns out Jack was _very_ thorough when it came to making up, and one seriously regrettable, though hilarious use of the _Handsome 5000_ later and the two were sweaty and catching their breath in Jack’s big bed, hands clasped together as they cuddled close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah sorry for the fade to black sex haha but I don't want to get smut-fatigue because we shall have **smut**. The Smuttening, if you will. Haha :)
> 
> Leave me some love in the comments please ;D It makes my day and rocks my world and recharges my batteries :)
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry ya'll, I've been really sick and the holidays kicked my ass. Have an extra long, plot/smut-intensive chapter, and leave me some comments when you're done yeah? Happy new year of rhack trash! :D
> 
> This could have easily been cut to be two _long_ chapters, but hey, it's been a while since I've updated. Enjoy!

Jack had a plan.

Or moreover, Jack _had_ had a plan. 

The younger man sleeping next to him was only the understudy to the star of his plans, but somewhere along the way Rhys had quickly risen to write his own part in the grand narrative Jack was weaving for himself. The alpha didn't know what to do about that, let alone how to _feel._

He'd say it was entirely physical if asked-- Rhys was a gorgeous omega if he was anything- and his presence alone was a convenience in more than a few ways. But the fire in the younger man’s eyes when he became peeved with Jack, or the way he refused to back down in arguments- _that_ was something else. Hell, just thinking back to how Rhys had jumped out of his crate with a shiv meant for Jack gave the CEO a half-chub in regards to the younger man. Nothing was happening the way he’d expected.

Basically, Jack’s plans were out the window, and he was writing new ones completely on the fly as he started to come to terms with the idea that Rhys wasn’t someone he could easily write off. It wasn’t ideal, and it wasn’t what he’d _wanted,_ but he started to think that this was something he could definitely work with. 

The problem would be making sure _Rhys_ went along with it as well.

Rhys woke up to Jack kissing and nosing at the back of his neck, lips migrating from there to his throat as the alpha snuffled across his skin. The younger man hummed and threw an arm behind him to rest on Jack’s hip. He was rewarded with another kiss for the movement, feeling Jack’s mouth smile into his skin. He stretched and rubbed his eyes, sleepy but welcoming the attention.

“Mm… it's the weekend buttercup… whaddya wanna do?” Jack asked lazily, sucking on the younger man's flesh as a big palm gently kneaded at Rhys’ chest.

Rhys could feel Jack’s morning wood poking him from behind, a sleepy smile blooming across his face. Muscles sore from pleasurable activities the night before and body satisfied with a good night’s sleep, he hummed. He felt _good._ He wouldn’t turn down more of that feeling. “Is that a rhetorical question?”

Jack chuckled deeply, the sound gruff from sleep. He nuzzled the younger man close, giving his hips a little wiggle into Rhys’ backside. “Can't blame the vice president here for getting excited over waking up to that ass,” he snickered. “But yeah, _after_ some morning sex? What do you wanna do, baby?”

Rhys reached a hand behind himself to lazily pet through Jack’s hair, humming as he thought over the question. _God_ but he could get used to waking up like this; a warm wall of handsome, frisky alpha behind him cuddling him close. His fingers threaded through Jack’s messy gray and brown hair, a devious smile that made Rhys’ own lips quirk with fondness. 

That line of thinking _terrified_ him. 

He _needed_ to go home. He had a whole life back home. His company. His family’s legacy. His work on a cybernetic eye. But the thought of leaving _this_ was proving hard to stomach. 

Rhys needed to get his head back on straight. Back to his plans regarding Atlas’ questionable weaponry.

He leaned his head back to try and look at Jack. “Can we go to the range?”

Jack stopped where he was showing Rhys’ pale shoulder some appreciation. “You wanna shoot, kiddo?” Rhys nodded, and Jack chuffed back into his hair. “Damn you know what to say to get me hard.”

Rhys snorted, an ugly sound that made him laugh at himself, and he turned his head to try to kiss the idiot alpha lazily rutting behind him. He’d be a total liar if he said he wasn’t interested, though. “And they say romance is dead.”

Jack’s muffled laughter shook him, and the older man gave him a squeeze that trailed down to Rhys’ half-hard cock. 

“I'm big on romance, buttercup,” Jack said as he ground himself against Rhys with a sigh, the omega chuckling despite himself.

“I can tell.”

That got a snort of genuine laughter from Jack, and the older man kissed below Rhys’ jaw while his hand toyed with the omega’s crotch. Jack stroked up inner thighs until he could roll Rhys’ balls between his fingers before stroking him at the root, making the younger man sigh. Rhys pressed backwards into the CEO with a pleased hum as Jack carefully handled him, sighing and gasping when playful touching turned more firm.

“You really do have the cutest little dick, Rhysie. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“I don't think I'll ever have that conversation with _any_ one, Jack.”

The older man snickered as he lazily dragged himself down the bed, urging Rhys to his back and tossing the sheets away to get his head between the younger man’s thighs. Rhys was only too quick to comply, laying back and spreading his legs with a lazy smile as Jack settled between them.

“Mmm, right,” the alpha agreed before slowly taking him into his mouth.

Rhys’ eyes rolled into the back of his head with a pleased sigh as his cock was enveloped into soft, wet warmth. Jack’s thumb firmly stroked up and down his inner thigh as he moved his tongue about the underside of the younger man’s cock. Lips sealing around his length, the older man got to sucking and bobbing Rhys down while the omega squirmed beneath him.

“Oh god Jack… _that’s so nice_ ,” Rhys sighed out, flesh hand coming to thread through the older man’s hair.

Jack pulled off his cock to stroke with his hand, a cheshire-like grin on his face as he looked up at the younger man. “Already so hard, Rhysie. It’s like you don’t have anyone at home giving it to you on the regular,” Jack teased.

“Maybe you should have tried harder last night,” Rhys teased back with a breathy laugh that made Jack chuckle. 

“You make my dick hard enough to cut diamond, sugar. I don’t think I can _get_ anymore hard,” the older man said through a toothy grin.

Rhys actually laughed at that, laying back in the sheets half-snickering, half-sighing as Jack tampered down his smile enough to close his lips around the younger man’s cock once more. The omega moaned as Jack engulfed his entire length-- not exactly a hard feat when dealing with omega anatomy- but it felt incredible. 

His hips kept trying to come off the sheets to thrust up into the older man’s mouth, and Jack kept a hand on his thigh to keep him where he was, though he took the younger man all the way to the root. Rhys couldn’t handle it as he felt Jack swallow around him, the velvety warmth of the alpha’s mouth encased around his cock in a pleasurable, undulating suction. He writhed in the sheets, not sure if he wanted to get away or get closer or thrust in or _what._

“Jack-- Jack please--”

The older man popped off his cock with a look of easy pleasure writ across his face, Rhys staring back at him in helpless desperation. “You gonna come, baby?”

“God just, talk to me, _keep talking--_ ” he groaned out desperately, head back into the covers as Jack’s hand was stroking him fast and firmly.

Jack gave him a filthy smirk. _That_ he could definitely do. “You like the sound of my voice huh, sweetheart? Or you like hearing what a dirty thing you are? How good you taste, or how strong your scent is down here.” Rhys groaned and Jack chuckled, dipping low to take the younger man’s cockhead into his mouth once more. 

“ _Christ,_ Jack…” Rhys’ hips tried to lurch off the bed as Jack held him down, the older man’s hand returning to stroke while Jack’s face broke into a filthy grin. The omega’s balls were pulled up close to his body as Rhys made little desperate sounds deep in his throat; the younger man was at his limit.

“Is it that good? You gonna come on my face again, honey? Bet you'd like that-- mark me up like this instead of a bite, hm? Let everyone see what Handsome Jack does for his omega--”

Rhys made a strangled sound as he came, the older man shutting his eyes as the younger man spurted across his nose and cheeks. Jack’s chuckles shook the bed as Rhys lay there panting, the alpha licking Rhys’ cock clean and finishing with a kiss to the head while aftershocks still rocked the omega. Jack’s voice should be _illegal._

The older man moved to get to his knees and off the bed, and Rhys’ hand shot out to Jack’s wrist, his body flushed and happy and unwilling to let Jack leave as he laid there panting. “Don't go--”

“Clean up, sweetheart.” Jack kissed the hand grasping his own. “Two secs.”

“I know, but just--” 

Rhys stared at him a few moments, irises still fully blown, enraptured, and Jack felt a lot more mighty and treasured than anyone with a raging hard-on and a face full of come almost dripping off ought to. If Rhys wasn't careful, he was going to fall in love with him right then and there.

Jack kissed Rhys’ hand again before letting it go to quickly clean his face off. His swift return was rewarded by Rhys’ grabby hands, urging him back to him with the neediness of wanting to return the pleasure.

“What do you want?” Rhys asked, all post-coital bliss and eager to please as Jack rejoined him back on the bed. 

The omega quickly pulled him down to the mattress to straddle his lap in trying to cuddle the older man close. His happy hums and purrs were ingratiating, but when the cleft of Rhys’ slick ass brushed against the alpha’s cock, Jack groaned and held onto the globes of the omega’s ass for sheer life. Rhys’ eagerness was just as hot as the omega himself.

“Shit, Rhysie. You make me cream myself before I get inside you and we’re gonna have a problem.”

“As flattering as that is,” Rhys snickered with a smile, scenting up the older man’s throat as he bent over him, “I’d much rather have you knotting me when that happens. Fuck me?”

Jack was going to ask him to marry him at this rate. “Shit yeah, baby,” he groaned, holding the younger man down against his middle, feeling slick leak out against his skin and moaning at how turned on the younger man was. His fingers dug into Rhys’ sides hard enough to bruise as the omega sat perched atop Jack’s middle. “I want you to ride me, sugar.”

Rhys scrambled to move back, and Jack laughed as he rolled over to quickly retrieve one of the many condoms he’d left from the box on the bedside table the night before. The omega snatched it with a single-mindedness that Jack thought he’d tease about if it wasn’t so freakin’ hot. That Rhys was so eager to fuck him, rolling the condom onto the older man’s length with lusty focus, was only serving to amp up Jack’s own desire. At this rate he really _was_ worried he’d come before ever getting inside the pretty young thing trying to mount his cock from above. 

As Rhys sank down, Jack groaned and squeezed his eyes shut so tight he saw explosions of stars and electric colors. The CEO was rigid as the younger man’s body pulsed around him, the little ‘oh’s and ‘ah’s as Rhys got comfortable cutting Jack’s restraint thread by thread. The nails of his flesh hand dragging down Jack’s chest is what brought the alpha back to the present, opening his eyes to see the pretty, blue-inked chest of the young thing fully seated on his cock and looking like some wicked pleasurable thing out of his wet dreams.

Jack moaned as Rhys moved forward with hands and body both, the alpha’s cock slowly pulling out of him only to sink back in as Rhys moved back. The omega started an easy rhythm that had Jack quickly groaning. 

The older man wanted to watch every second of Rhys’ movements but his eyes were screwed shut again in trying to regain some control as the omega’s slick tightness wore around his cock like a glove. Rhys’ pinching of Jack’s nipples brought a laugh from the older man as he opened his eyes to see Rhys smiling guilelessly down at him, splaying his fingers on Jack’s chest.

“This is nice,” Rhys simply purred, hands anchoring himself as he slowly rode the older man’s cock with breathy sighs of pleasure.

“Understatement of the _year,”_ Jack’s gruff chuckles turned to moans as Rhys’ body squeezed down on him, the older man gripping Rhys’ hips as he thrust up into the younger man.

“ _Ffuck,”_ Rhys sighed, bending down to kiss Jack’s lips. 

The older man stopped his thrusting a moment to grip the back of the younger man’s head and deepen the kiss, thinking he could hold off a bit longer if his dick could take a breather. The sight of the pretty omega, his scent invading Jack’s nostrils, was too much this early in the morning. As Rhys’ tongue found its way into his mouth and the younger man held Jack’s head to really kiss for all he was worth, it only sent pulse after pulse of desire through the older man; it didn’t help that Rhys’ body clenched around him as well. 

Jack broke their kiss to direct Rhys’ face to his neck instead, trying and failing to think of anything but the omega on top of him to hold out longer. “Rhysie… god _damn…”_

Rhys was rubbing up on him, cheek to cheek as Jack’s fingers massaged at his flesh and he couldn’t help but to start haphazardly thrusting again. The omega sighed as he moved back to meet those thrusts, scenting the older man with an almost delirious purr. “I can smell myself on you,” Rhys murmured, nipping Jack’s jaw where he’d bitten him days prior.

“I bet.”

Rhys pulled up to give him a deep look, eyes dilated with lust as he didn’t stop writhing on top of the older man. He gave the alpha a dirty little smile. “I don't mean _that.”_ He moved one of Jack’s hands to his own cock-- trying its best to rally for another go- and the older man moaned in realization as he pounded up into the omega: Jack might've cleaned his face, but the scent of Rhys’ release still hung to him, and Rhys could smell it on him. It was the dirtiest, most erotic thing Jack had ever heard, and it pleased something so deep inside the alpha that he came with a strangled groan.

Rhys snickered wickedly as he continued moving on the older man even as Jack finally stilled beneath him, a hand to his masked face as he stilled Rhys with the other. The younger man pouted in his stilled movements, body clenching down and wringing another groan out of Jack.

“I'd say you're keeping me young, but I'm pretty sure you're gonna kill me,” the alpha sighed out with a laugh. “You dirty little minx. God damn Rhysie.”

Rhys hunkered down on him with a filthy grin, squirming somewhat with a puzzled smirk. As fun as this was, he couldn’t help but notice the lack of something he’d gotten every other time. “You didn't even knot.”

“You’re too friggin’ sexy kitten, give it time,” Jack groaned, though he could feel his knot currently swelling inside the younger man still as Rhys ground down on him with a pleased hum. It made the older man’s cock jump inside the omega, the younger man clenching down on him with a purr. “Damn, that came out of nowhere… Give a guy a complex thinking something’s wrong with his dick.”

Rhys snickered as he could feel himself getting fuller with the expanse of the older man’s knot. He kissed the side of Jack’s mouth as he cuddled close with a purr. “Mmm… that’s better late than never.”

“You're too freakin’ sexy, sugar. Got me going off like a damn teenager.” Jack’s hand slowly worked its way between them, the younger man sitting back up as Jack got a hold of Rhys’ cock. He couldn’t move too much to thrust into Jack’s hand, but he didn’t need to as the alpha took care of him.

“They make pills for that you know,” Rhys teased with a breathy sigh as the alpha began slowly jerking him off. He made a sharp sound as Jack thumbed over his weeping cockhead. _God_ it felt so good.

“We make pills for that, and I don't expect to _need_ them for another twenty years thanks. Stop being so sexy, Rhysie.”

Rhys came weakly against Jack’s chest, a small dribble compared to the spurts on the older man's face previously. He gave the CEO a pleased, warm smile as he spread himself out lazily atop the older man after wiping them with the sheet, kissing Jack’s neck. He inhaled big gulps of the older man’s post-coital scent. It was pure satisfaction. “You smell perfect, you know that?”

“You're just now getting that?”

“Stop.” He inhaled deeply. “God but you smell so good. All delicious alpha…” Rhys muttered happily to himself.

“Ditto, kiddo,” Jack said with a laugh. “If you get this happy after morning sex then I'm making it the new routine from now on. Mandatory part of the workday, kitten.”

Rhys chuckled at the kiss Jack pressed to his cheek. “Not unless you expect to hold meetings from this bed, Jack.”

“Sounds like a plan, cupcake. I can definitely live with you naked in my bed with my knot in you twenty-four seven. Sign me up.”

Rhys snorted. “As fun as that sounds, I _did_ want to play around with your guns today.” Jack gave a little wiggle beneath him as Rhys rolled his eyes with a smirk. “I mean shooting, Jack.”

“Yeah, fair enough. You’re a shit shot so we’ll get you all the practice you can take, yeah?” Rhys frowned at the insult as the alpha laughed and patted him. The omega gave the skin of his neck a nip that make Jack pleasantly growl in his throat. “What did you wanna shoot first, sweetheart?”

“First I wanna shower. _Then_ I want to play with everything from the ground up,” Rhys mumbled into Jack’s neck. “Older guns to newest... No live targets.”

“What about dead ones?”

“Your pillow talk needs work,” Rhys said with a chuckle, nipping at Jack’s skin again and earning a little pinch to his rear.

“Fair enough. You got me all loopy with that perfect ass, kiddo. Now kiss me.”

\--

Weekend or not, Jack _still_ had work to do. Just less of it.

Rhys had had a lot of fun destroying targets. The older man watched him fumble a little with Hyperion’s older-- _but still true_ \- tech, and enjoyed the way Rhys had blown big bullymong targets and crappy bandit hideout cutouts to smithereens. The younger man had a lot of technical questions too that Jack _might_ have fudged the details on a little (hey, he was richer than god and busier to boot- that’s what he paid science peons to memorize) but overall the alpha had had a great time answering the curiosity of his pretty bedmate while admiring the marks he’d left high on the younger man’s neck earlier that morning.

“And what was this one called again?”

“That’s my _Vision,_ princess,” Jack said a little more patiently than he felt. “They’re all well and good, but how about we try something with higher ordinance?”

Rhys snorted. “What? Like a gun that shoots bullets that shoots smaller bullets?” At Jack’s grin, Rhys’ teasing smirk fell. “Don’t even _tell_ me you have something that does that?”

The alpha put on what he considered to be his most winning smile to date. “Oh buttercup, let me show you to the _experimental_ weaponry.” Rhys set the gun he was holding down on the table spread out like an all-you-can-shoot buffet, eyeing the older models as Jack threw an arm around his shoulder and steered him away from the generic shooting range and back towards the science wing. “I told you about slag, right? _Boy_ do I have something _fun_ for you to play with. And this time it’s not my dick.”

Rhys’ interest in Hyperion’s weapons _actually_ outlasted Jack’s own, oddly enough, the omega full of wonder as he pressed the CEO’s workers for Hyperion’s own history and Jack prodding him and making jokes about not stealing corporate secrets. Rhys blanched and Jack only laughed, telling him that with what a shit shot he was and how tiny Rhys’ backwater planet was, the alpha had nothing to fear with corporate competition.

Jack regretted cutting their time melting stuff short, promising they’d return to blow more shit up later, as he had a surprise for the omega waiting in R&D’s Meeting Hall B.

Rhys didn’t consider a _meeting_ on a _weekend_ constituting a ‘surprise’, but the subject matter and topics were actually right up his alley. It made the omega second-guess the alpha as they sat in on a meeting for Hyperion’s fledgling cybernetics department. Rhys was thrumming with excitement, worry free for the first time in weeks.

If this was Jack’s way of trying to get into Rhys’ good graces, the omega had to admit that it was working quite well. The sex and cuddling at times was nice, blowing things up had been fun (and informative for his own purposes), but _this._ This was Rhys’ passion. This was exactly what he was missing back home, and it helped remind him of why he _needed_ to get back there in the first place… regardless of how conflicted he might be feeling about it.

Rhys eyed Jack as the meeting began, current products and research discussed openly in front of him. The alpha just gave his thigh a squeeze and told him to pay attention.

Jack knew Rhys headed cybernetics back at Atlas. Surely he understood a conflict of interests could arise in letting Rhys in on this meeting. But either he didn’t care, or it didn’t matter because it was mainly just topics of allocation of funds, but Rhys found it fascinating all the same. Turned out that funding meetings were the same across galaxies, more or less. The fact that he could keep up and was smugly in-tune to their discussion only sweetened things.

The subject of his arm came up once the meeting was officially closed, talk up for more informal questions and chatter as participants got up from their seats to mingle and discuss. 

“Show ‘em how smart you are, pumpkin,” Jack said as he prodded the younger man being studied by various gazes as Rhys rolled up his shirt sleeve. “This isn’t just a pretty face, boys and girls.”

Rhys thought the way Jack postured-- as if he had anything to do with Rhys’ arm himself- was a little much, but the grin the older man held was proud if anything. Rhys knew his cybernetics were advanced, but apparently he was much further along in development than anything Hyperion had yet to come up with. It made him feel prideful about his more humble company and home planet: if a company as big as Hyperion hadn’t even come as far as he had, then Rhys was onto something indeed. The requests by the head of the department for a visit in their lab was approved by Jack as Rhys showed off.

The younger man had to admit, this much actual, legitimate interest and wonder in his arm and how he’d done it was flattering as hell. Such enthusiasm was hard to come by at Atlas.

“And you have inner docks?”

“Yeah.”

“How many?”

“Four. I want my arm to be compatible with an eye I’m working on. Gotta have that extra space and I don’t want to compromise mobility or storage because I wasn’t prepared.”

“See I _told_ you this was the next step!”

Rhys smirked to himself as one of the department members gave him a once-over. 

“Surely an eye would be unseemly though.” The employee gave a look over her shoulder to where Jack was boasting and bragging to others asking for further funding before turning back to Rhys. “You’re so good-looking, why ruin that?”

“What I plan will be minimally-invasive,” Rhys confidently spoke. He chuckled to himself a bit morbidly for his next choice of words. “Basically scoop out the old, in with the new.”

The woman gasped and turned to her coworker as they began running figures in their heads between them about relative size and computing power and _how_ Rhys planned to get something the actual size of a human eye to run without more serious implants and surgery. It devolved into a minor squabble about how their projections had been too _big,_ and what was and wasn’t possible, and how certain coworkers needed to keep their fumbling hands away from delicate machinery when running tests.

“You’d really remove an entire eye?” another man asked, getting a closer look at Rhys’ own mismatched gems as the omega blinked with confidence.

“Yeah. The change wouldn’t appear any more obvious than an organic eye, so I’m not too concerned with superficiality.”

“Which eye would you choose if you had to?”

Rhys smirked at the question, having fun until Jack came up behind him with a low growl, the alpha before the omega immediately backing off as if Jack had a gun on him. The CEO stuck his chin on Rhys’ shoulder, an arm coming possessively around him. “You can ask your questions in the lab at the approved visit, Simmons.”

“Y-yes sir!”

The other man quickly scurried off to the opposite corner of the room as others gathered their things, question-time clearly over. Rhys snorted to himself at how fast the room cleared out, smirking as he looked at the sour expression on Jack’s face. _Someone_ took not being the center of attention personally, apparently.

“You’re a bad little thing, aren’t you Rhysie? You trying to get these idiots killed?”

The younger man blinked with confusion as he looked at Jack, turning in the CEO’s arms. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Jack snorted. “You know you’re a walking wet dream to these guys, right? Showing off that cool robo arm stuck on a pretty package.” Jack stuck his face in Rhys’ neck, inhaling with a low growl of pleasure. “Don’t forget who you belong to, kitten.”

He might have been worried by the semi-permanence of that statement if it wasn’t clear that Jack was obviously jealous. That struck a chord in the omega, something deep-set purring at the idea that Rhys decided not to linger thinking too much on. Rhys only smiled as the older man pouted, a playful sort of tease to his voice as he turned in Jack’s arms to trace the edges of Jack’s vest with his fingertips. “ _For now,_ anyways. Enjoy it while you can, handsome.” 

“ _Ooooh_ you-- Yeah, that’s not gonna work for me, c’mere.” 

Jack was heavily scenting him, dragging nipping kisses up and down his neck as he grasped him close, making the younger man surprised with how quickly his body reacted to Jack’s touches. He was already sporting a half-chub by the time Jack was grabbing at his ass and kissing the daylights out of him. Was his body already so used to being easily played by Jack?

Rhys was huffing as Jack gave him a filthy leer, grinding his hips against the younger man with a growl. Rhys’ own hips thrust right back at him, voice breathy and body shaky as he spoke into Jack’s neck. “Okay, no more or we’re going to have a problem here… mmm...”

The older man chuckled. “We or _you_?” Jack ground his hips against Rhys’ own and the omega sighed as he grasped Jack’s shoulders. “What would you say to walking around in wet pants the rest of the day, sweetheart?” Jack scented up his neck again, chuckling at the strength of arousal in the younger man’s scent. “You sure smell like you’re up for it.”

“ _Gross,_ Jack,” Rhys said through a chuckle, unashamedly humping against the hand Jack dragged down between them to cover his hardon. He didn’t _want_ to be sporting a tent as they left the meeting room, but he didn’t want to walk around in soiled underwear the rest of the day either. Jack’s hand seemed intent on getting him off, though. Three times in one day wasn’t greedy, was it?

“I think coming in your pants in an appropriate punishment for not playing fair, kitten,” the CEO rasped into his ear. “You’re supposed to be fawning over _me,_ not some dumbass scientists asking stupid nerd questions.”

Rhys laughed ruefully. “Maybe you should step up your own ‘nerd questions’, Jack.”

“You little shit.”

Jack might have started the kiss, but it was Rhys who took charge of it, pulling the older man’s mouth against his own as his hips ground against the alpha’s own hard bulge. He was biting at the older man’s lips as Jack growled, hands on Rhys’ hips as he moved the omega to better grind against them.

“Be _loud,_ Rhysie,” Jack growled deliciously into his ear. “I want them all to hear you.”

The kinkiness of the request sent a thrill up Rhys’ spine, but he shook his head, biting his flesh hand. “Hell no, are you nuts? I’m not letting them hear me-- _ah!”_

Jack nibbled at his ear and the younger man gasped, hips hitching up against his. “ _You_ started this, kitten.”

“...I-I don’t like an audience,” he said unconvincingly. Jack’s hips ground particularly hard against his own and Rhys moaned long and dirty.

“You sure about that?” Jack’s voice was husky, an amused, patronizing growl that went right to Rhys’ straining cock. Rubbing against the older man shouldn’t feel so damn good. Since when was Jack able to have such an effect on him? “Come on, not like you’ve gotta look these people in the eye or even know them for much longer, _right_ kiddo? What’s to lose? Let loose, princess.”

Rhys wasn’t proud at the way his brain rationalized Jack’s arguments, agreeing with them wholeheartedly as he didn’t bother keeping his voice low. These people didn’t mean anything to him; he’d be gone back to Crius soon enough anyways... as Jack pointed out. The lurch the thought sent to his stomach wasn’t entirely unexpected, and he ignored it in favor of listening to Jack’s dirty voice.

His own loudness and Jack’s encouragements got him off pretty damn hard, and he was only grateful that, as of yet, there were no visible wet spots on the front of his pants as they came down from orgasm. 

The only consolation to his ruined underwear was the fact that Jack also had to walk around like that the rest of the day-- or at least until they got to a bathroom to clean up the worst of it.

Jack made several distasteful remarks about how gross it was and how Rhys was a shit for seducing him in the first place (to which Rhys laughed damn hard at Jack’s expense) but the older man’s wistful smiles and dirty winks just for him made the omega decide a little office debauchery was worth crossing a line off his bucket list. 

\--

Jack left Rhys at home to finish the latest quests and defeat ruthless enemies in his video games while Jack returned to the office.

“You know, the weekend generally means _the week has ended,_ Jack. Even CEO’s gotta take weekends off,” Rhys grumbled as he was hooking up his game system to Jack’s big tv.

“Not this one, kiddo. Take notes.” Rhys’ snort got him a smack to the ass in return as the omega was bent over a series of cables, shooting back to sit with a frown at the alpha grinning down at him. “I won’t be gone too long, cupcake.”

“Sure, ‘back in an hour’, right?” Rhys snarked without looking at the older man. He was suddenly hefted backwards from under the armpits as Jack gathered the younger man into his lap to nip and kiss and cuddle. 

“You mouthy little shit,” Jack grunted as Rhys squirmed, the alpha’s chuckles as he manhandled and groped the younger man reverberating through Rhys’ chest. The omega crossed his arms over his own chest and allowed himself to become dead weight, giving Jack an unimpressed look behind him. “Play your little nerd games all you want, ‘cause when I’m back you’re not gonna sit for a week.”

Rhys snorted, voice playful and up to the challenge. “Really? You gonna spank me or something?” The tremor that rocked through Jack took Rhys by surprise, the omega smirking a little as Jack buried his face in the younger man’s neck. Rhys snickered. “Maybe if you’re _actually_ back in an hour…”

“Damn, buttercup, you been reading my secret diary or something? Haha nah, I don’t have a diary,” Jack laughed as he pressed another kiss to Rhys’ skin. “Mmm Rhysie, you smell so good. Maybe I _will_ be back in an hour to spank that sass out of you.”

“Sure, Jack,” the younger man said, words dripping with disbelief, though his face held a smile. He turned in the older man’s lap to kiss the CEO hard, dragging Jack’s lower lip with his teeth when they broke apart. The way Jack looked at him made Rhys certain he’d just changed the alpha’s mind about going in to work, but Jack just shook his head with a growl and got to his feet.

“Behave yourself, Rhysie. I’ll be right back.”

Jack left him there amidst cords and cables, pouting with a half-chub in his pants as the alpha left the penthouse and made his way to the office.

Rhys looked down at his lower half with a frown. Surely _four_ times in one day wasn’t greedy, where Jack was considered, right? After all, he’d better have as much fun as he could with the older man, because his replacement should be there soon, and then it would be back to Crius. Make as many happy memories of crazy, off the wall fucking with the epitome of badass alpha all he could to keep him warm back on Crius.

Rhys got up from his various cables and games, removing himself to his room with a frown. Nothing better than using the gun info he’d gathered today to fight against the insistent stiffness in his pants. He could use a distraction from his dirty thoughts.

\--

Jack drummed his fingers on the desk as he cued up the rest of Athena’s report. He was antsy, but not over listening to what she had to say. If he was being at all honest with himself (which he didn’t want to be) he was eager to get back to Rhys and wreck that pert little ass six ways from Sunday. 

But this needed to be done. She’d be waiting for more instruction from him, and with the communications lag, it wasn’t something he could feasibly put off. He’d go ahead and greenlight the progression for even more communications satellites and waystations to be built ASAP.

He pressed play on the recording from Athena, and her voice echoed off the walls of his office.

“I found some more articles about the family. The uncle locked down planetary imports after a weapons hit on the family that the kid survived but the parents didn’t. Been a planetary ban on imported weapons since then. The planet is at peace since strict regulations; doesn’t seem like they have much use for weapons.” Athena looked off screen with the slightest quirk to her lips. “They make excellent shields and cappuccino machines though, which I’ll be bringing back samples of. I’ll be billing you for those, Jack.”

The CEO snorted.

“Crius doesn’t have much of an intergalactic-trade to speak of, it’s mainly self-sustained, but their economy is booming. For being small-time, they’re fairly advanced compared to what we’d find on Pandora. Overall, it’s boring and I don’t know why you care so much about something so far out here. I’ll be looking into the local mob scene tomorrow. Athena out.”

Jack considered the succinctness of the message and looked over photos Athena had sent along with the quick report. Hopefully she’d have something else good for him besides pictures of lush forests and lakes next to a sleekly-designed Atlas building. It made Jack smirk. No wonder Rhys was so prissy about things. He was definitely a product of his planet. 

Jack wanted to know more about how Rhys had lost his arm, interest piqued. Probably wasn’t going to get that out of the kid, though. He’d need to make a note to ask Athena to look into it.

A notification popped up, and Jack grinned happily to himself. “Oh you are _so_ good at what you do...” A new data-package was just received from Athena. Perfect timing. She probably couldn’t wait for Jack to respond to the message he’d just heard, which was fine. He could respond to both and hopefully they’d have improved communications come the following week. He eagerly began the download of the package as he sent out orders to increase productivity on the outer planets.

An incoming call from out of orbit pinged to his screen, and Jack frowned as he recognized the ID. He _thought_ he’d taken care of this. The necessity of long-range, direct-calling became even more pointed. Never talk to stupid indirect outposts regarding ‘business’ again. Ugh.

He answered the call with a sneer he didn’t at all have to fake. “ _What is it?”_ he asked on the video uplink.

“Um, hello sir! This is your rep from Alpha-Omega Solutions. Just checking in with you as standard protocol now that we’re within range. We’ve got your replacement ready and we’ll be docking around--”

“Whoa whoa _whoa!_ Back it up there kiddo,” Jack said as he sat straighter in his chair. “I messaged you freaks ages ago. I don’t need a replacement. It’s all good on my end. So, you know, just--” he made dismissive waves with his hand, “-fhew fhew, off you go. Make some other lonely bastard’s dreams come true or whatever. I’m good.”

The representative-- a weasley-looking fellow with greasy hair- quickly brought up a clipboard that he flipped dingy pages and pages past in a flurry with a worried expression. Jack smirked. _Paper_ documents. Easily-destroyed, no digital trail. Also looked ridiculous as the man read all flustered. It made Jack smile until he thought of Rhys being escorted by someone like _him._ Then he scowled.

“I-I don’t have any word on a cancellation sir, I’m supposed to deliver your--”

“ _Look,”_ Jack said all-too-nicely into the video, the man cowering even over video uplink, “Whatever you’ve got, I don’t want it. It’s all bought and paid for, right? So you go back _home_ to your little black-market _pals_ and let them know that Handsome Jack of Hyperion doesn’t _want_ whatever replacement they’ve sent to make up for their stupid little mistakes. You got that dumb-dumb?”

“B-but I’m supposed to--”

“Ah-ah-ah, let’s hear a ‘ _yeeeeees’?”_

“Y-yes?”

“Good. Ten out of ten, would buy again, yada yada. Nice doing business with you.”

He hung up on the man’s distressed face and smirked as his report from Athena was ready to play. At least _someone_ was capable of doing their job.

He went for the video message first, ignoring the pictures of no-doubt more lakes and forests and picturesque nonsense he didn’t care about. Athena’s face wasn’t the subject of the video, but instead a warehouse filled with crates and product. It looked just like the weapons crates Hyperion used to store and ship their own goods to every man, woman, and child with the cash to buy a piece. 

Actually, it was _exactly_ the same crates as Hyperion used. Blue paint was sloshed over where the Hyperion logo would have been found on the shipment containers. It looked not unlike Hyperion’s own stores ready to flood the land with tools of mass-destruction for the idiots who wanted them. He felt his blood pressure rise as he leaned forward to the screen, _recognizing_ way too many crates for a non-distributor to have on hand. 

“I’ve found what Vasquez Industrial does, Jack. I’ve counted at least five Hyperion weapons models. They’re brought here from somewhere else, taken apart, modified, and sent to Atlas facilities for further modification. The serial numbers are melted off and rebranded. There’s more guns here than are shipped out, so I’m assuming one of the companies is planning a coup. Local sentiment is still peaceful though and the locals aren’t heavily armed.” She sniffed distastefully. “It’s like a watered down version of the Edens here.

“Atlas warehouses are mostly household items and luxury tech, but guns and shields are being marketed to the public. I’ve been hearing worry about kidnappings since the death of the Atlas kid, but there haven’t been any incidents. I’ll see what more I can find, but it wouldn’t kill you to give me some direction. At least things aren't as boring as I thought. Athena out.”

The video ended. Jack sat staring at the blank screen for moments as his mind wrapped around the quick check-in he’d been given.

Those were _his_ guns. His beautiful little weapons stripped of their Hyperion personality and covered in the make of another. There weren’t any stolen weapons shipments that he knew about, but those were clearly ill-gotten gains. 

He opened the picture files Athena had sent; close-up images of the weapons she was talking about. It made Jack snort humorlessly. The guns were all older models. Still classic Hyperion tech, of course, but nothing made in the last few years. Jack wondered if it was incredibly clever or incredibly stupid that older models were being passed off as something they weren’t. 

_He_ wouldn’t have noticed if older stock went missing from their stores. Not when they had cool, exploding rounds, and experiments with eridium were proving promising in the weaponization of slag. Customers liked the newest and coolest thing to blast each other away with. Their customer-base was loyal as far as Hyperion manufacturing was concerned, but older models sold far far slower.

Jack opened his own video message to send Athena a recording immediately, his eye twitching as he looked into the camera. Nothing he could do this far out personally, but he hadn’t sent the woman herself for nothing. Athena was as deadly as she was efficient, and Jack felt a fire start up his spine that someone out there was stealing from and bastardizing _his_ product. 

He smiled into the feed, all teeth as his voice was strained to keep from growling. “Let’s send a little message to that backwater planet about why it’s bad to rebrand Hyperion property as something it’s _not._ ” He laughed a little, trying to get himself under control as he imaged the mayhem Athena would rain down on them all. “They say there’s no presence of Hyperion on that planet? Well let’s introduce them to just what it means to try and pull a fast one over the biggest company in six galaxies. Protect that brand superiority and sparkle, baby! I wanna see regret and I want it _messy._ Take them out, Athena.”

Jack finished recording the message with a heavy growl, moving to hit send when his comm went off with a notification. 

He picked it up, ready to rail into the Alpha-Omega Solutions rep if he called him on _this_ number again, only for the wicked sneer on his face to temper at the name on the ID. 

It was Rhys, asking when he’d be home, followed up by another message asking him to please come home soon. 

Jack chuckled humorlessly to himself as he considered the omega, wondering if Rhys had been taking him for a ride this whole time. The interest the younger man had in the gun range today passed through his mind. He shot a message off to the younger man that he was on his way right now as he pocketed his comm and left the office.

\--

Jack entered the penthouse all lathered up and ready for a confrontation, and frowned as Rhys wasn’t where he’d left him in front of the big tv. The omega’s game system was still there, cords a mess as Rhys promised he’d make it neat _later,_ but said younger man wasn’t anywhere to be found. Jack put a hand to the system, but it was cold. Rhys hadn’t been playing for a while then.

“Rhysie?” Jack called out a bit sharply, on edge and on guard. “Rhys!”

“...Jack?” 

The response came from Jack’s own bedroom, and the older man made his way with a wary frown. His heavy steps became lighter the closer he got, body subconsciously clueing into something he hadn’t yet become consciously aware of. He was a lot less tense as he opened the door to his bedroom, getting hit with a scent that immediately confused him as Rhys was the only one in the room, sat center in the bed with the blankets pulled tight around him.

“...Rhys?” Jack asked, voice still gruff but full of confusion as he surveyed his room to make sure they were alone. This was _heat_ scent. Jack’s bedroom reeked of heat scent. But there were no other omegas in there; no employees trying to worm their way into his good graces. 

This was _Rhys’_ scent. Rhys. Rhys was in heat. Rhys was in heat in his bed.

Rhys was sitting there with a slightly pained expression as he looked at Jack in confusion as to the CEO’s attention on other parts of the room, a feverish look in his eyes.

“Jack.” Rhys’ tone was troubled, beseeching, and uncomfortable as he gazed up at the alpha with glazed eyes. He was deep into the beginning of his heat already, and he looked as helpless and desperate as he felt. “Jack I want… if you-- I know you're busy-- My heat came hard and I just-” he broke off to nearly sob. 

“You’re in heat,” Jack stated dumbly. 

Rhys whined as the older man stayed where he was, discomfort running high and Rhys’ instincts telling him the solution to all his problems stood just a few feet away from him. He’d already decided it was a bad idea to ask Jack to share his heat, what with the circumstances of him even being there and all, but he’d also decided that he didn’t want to be on suppressors that made him sick, and that Jack would probably take good care of him judging by the type of lover he was. He was worried primarily about it changing things between them- namely, Rhys was scared of getting _attached._

More than anything, he’d reached the point where he couldn’t bear trying to hold off any longer, this heat hitting him harder than any other he could remember, and he’d succeeded in calling Jack home. His relief was so close yet it felt so far away.

“Will you-- my heat,” Rhys whined out pitifully. He felt actual tears start to gather at the corner of his eyes, some part of his brain not yet surrendered to the fervor of his heat reminding him of other less-pleasant options if Jack didn’t want him. “It’s so hard and I need suppressors if you won't- won't-”

“Rhysie.” Jack swallowed, wondering where the hell that croak of a voice had come from as he breathed deep the scent the younger man was giving off. Already his pants felt tight and his many layers felt itchy against his skin. All the fight was gone out of him, replaced with desire and need and the urge to take up the omega in his arms and bury his face in that scent. He watched sharply the way Rhys huffed under the blankets, a spare show of skin peeking through to his mismatched eyes. Rhys was naked under those blankets. Naked under blankets that smelled like the alpha. “Do you want me to take care of your heat, sweetheart?”

“I want you,” Rhys whimpered, though he didn’t make any moves towards the alpha. “But this doesn't--” he looked up at Jack with bleary eyes, worried and wanting. “It doesn't change anything, Jack. It doesn't change anything.”

“Don’t worry about that, kitten,” Jack murmured, moving towards the bed to rest a knee, eyes dilating with the intoxicating scent. Damn, Rhys smelled good normally but this was altogether otherworldly. Jack was halfway worried he might pass out. Guns and other Atlas bullshit didn’t matter-- could wait- right now, he wanted to take care of his omega.

“I don't want-- Things’ll get weird between us and I don't want them to and I _want_ you… Don’t get weird!” Rhys whined, the demand somewhat lost as Rhys left his cloak of blankets to instead close the breach between them.

Moving to the bed was a mistake. A _huge_ mistake. Rhys clung to Jack like the last lifeboat on a sinking ship, and Jack himself was being pulled in and drowned by the heat scent coming off the younger man. Nothing he’d ever smelled in his _life_ smelled half as good as Rhys did right now, and any thoughts of Atlas or guns or espionage flew right out the window in favor of kissing those trembling lips and holding the naked, clinging omega against his body.

“Nothing will get weird, promise kitten,” Jack growled out, surprised at his own sincerity. “Tell me what you need, Rhysie. I'll make it happen. You still want suppressors and I'll get you suppressors but I’ll still be here.”

“N-no, they make me sick.” Rhys stuck his face into Jack’s neck, rubbing his skin across Jack’s own as his fingers were busy about the CEO’s clothes.

“Okay buttercup, not a problem,” Jack murmured as he nosed at Rhys’ own neck, scenting the younger man and shuddering at how good his hot skin smelled. “What do you need, baby?”

“I need you.”

“Okay, that's perfect kitten.”

Rhys’ teeth nipped at Jack’s flesh as the older man groaned, trying to quickly get out of his layers while Rhys was trying to get into his lap. “Jack…” he sighed out, grinding against the older man as he no longer held back. “Don’t make it weird… I-it changes nothing…”

“You got it baby. Stop worrying about that and let me take care of you.”

As Jack managed to undress-- not without Rhys coming onto his jeans once which he only teased the younger man about a _little-_ the alpha prayed he had enough condoms and lube to weather this storm, and properly fucked the younger man into next week.

Sharing a heat ultimately changed _everything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll get heat chapters, don't you worry ;D That was just a nice way of ending the chapter with a little prelude to later stuff ;) This took a long time to write admidst being sick and holiday stuff, please leave me some comments! Woo! :)
> 
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	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long in-between of updates O_O I was extremely concerned about my characterization of these two and if I'm jumping too hard _OR_ just taking license with much ado to how heat-chemicals would mess with someone's behavior. Also, it's Jack we're talking about here, since when does he do things that aren't at least a _little_ morally questionable? Hahahaa 
> 
> I think this'll do for both senses of my concerns haha xD

Rhys was lazily rubbing his face in Jack’s neck, relishing in the calm and temporary sense of satisfaction while Jack held him close chest to chest. It was the most coherent he felt in the past several hours. 

“Thanks,” Rhys said with a pleased sigh, enjoying the bit of calm restored to him.

“For the orgasms? Any time any place, kiddo.”

Rhys rolled his eyes, but he supposed in actuality, Jack wasn't too far off the mark. The thick knot inside of him grounded Rhys where Jack throbbed within him. It brought back a modicum of focus for the omega as his immediate needs were taken care of, and the overwhelming haze in his brain had finally dissipated enough to allow thought again. Thought, in particular, about how he was sharing his heat with Jack, and how that was a bad idea.

He tried not to dwell on this possibly being a really, _really_ bad idea-- he could easily get attached to the older man, which he assured himself was _not_ in his best interests- but he just rolled with the solution to his horned-out problems. This was something sober-Rhys could deal with _after_ Jack got him through his heat… which he hoped wouldn’t make things weird.

He _was_ going to return to Crius. He _had_ to.

“Are you actually going to be able to help all heat?” Rhys asked quietly, voice a bit more serious as worry came back to nag at him. 

Jack strained to catch his eye from where Rhys stubbornly burrowed into his neck. The omega continued hiding his face there as Jack gave his side a stroke. “What do you mean by that?”

“I know you're busy…” Rhys left off, thinking of the work Jack had to do even on a day off. It was the weekend, but the older man had still gone into the office instead of stay with him, which Rhys’ feverish mind took personal offense to.

It wasn't like Jack was his _mate_ or anything… He knew he didn't have much of a leg to stand on with the request, hoping that the CEO of such a big company would have the time off to help. In this state though, Jack’s importance to the rest of the galaxy hardly mattered a lick to him. He selfishly wanted Jack all to himself, even as his still-thinking brain knew the older man had duties elsewhere.

“I just… I was desperate,” Rhys started again. “When my heat first starts it's always the worst, but I'll probably be okay before it gets too unbearable if you can’t.... If you can’t stay. If you could maybe get me a few omega aids, _maybe_ suppressors just in case it gets unbearable, I won't take up too much of your free time here and there, if you can't spare much from work, that is,” he added, knowing he was probably coming off needy as all hell, but not caring insofar as it got him what he wanted. A heat didn’t exactly keep one level-headed, and his was making him feel pathetic with need as he gave the CEO a side-eye to check on the the success of what was equivalent to begging for his attention.

Jack gave him a look that asked if he was crazy _and_ dumb.

“Babycakes, do you think there is _anywhere_ else I'd rather be than right here right now?” Jack asked incredulously. The CEO poked the younger man, pressing his lower half against him with a smug leer. “Balls deep inside some sweet young exotic thing from the outer galaxies? _Really?”_

Rhys smirked, swallowing a chuckle as he felt himself blush at such a statement, which was silly considering Jack was currently _inside_ him, and lazily grinding to boot. “Well I mean, you can't just blow stuff off. I get it if you can’t stay… If you have to work…”

The alpha gave an exasperated sigh. “I'm the friggin’ president of the company, kiddo. I can do whatever the hell I want.” Jack shot him a pointed grin that Rhys returned after a moment in amused understanding.

“...Take notes?”

“Yes, _take notes._ A CEO can stop everything to screw the hot arm candy he's been making everyone jealous with.”

Rhys only snorted, but Jack nipped at his jaw before whispering in a voice that made a shiver go up Rhys’ spine and his gut clench. “I’m all yours for the foreseeable week, sugarpie. Entirely yours. Don’t you worry, baby. It’ll be the best heat ever.”

That thrilled Rhys right to his primal wants, a pleased purr leaving his throat as he moved to press his lips against Jack’s own. He could feel the stirrings of want again, trembling at the powerful alpha’s words as Jack licked his tongue into his mouth and ultimately made him breathless. Rhys sighed, dizzy with renewed want. “....and you promise it won't get weird?”

“Only as weird as you want it,” the alpha said with a dirty chuckle that made Rhys roll his eyes and give the older man a look he couldn’t completely temper the worry from. Jack gave him a reassuring squeeze, voice a pleased growl. “Promise, sugarcake. You just enjoy yourself. Won't get weird.”

\--

Jack had to wonder if maybe his and Rhys’ ideas of what was and wasn’t ‘weird’ were at all on the same page as his brain projected ideas of an uncertain but much-anticipated future.

Though they’d slept together numerous times, it still hadn't yet reached the double digits (something Jack was looking forward to breaking as the hours satisfying the omega passed), and there was a many varied, kinky thing the older man would like to do with Rhys. He wished he’d had the foresight that the younger man’s heat was coming, and he entertained himself by spinning possible scenarios of what he’d like to plan for _next_ heat for the pretty omega…. 

That he expected Rhys to still be around _that_ long and still _with_ him was problematic on multiple fronts, and much too complicated for him to be pondering while in bed with the younger man smelling the way he did.

Right now, the only important thing Jack should focus on with concern to the omega was release and relief, and Jack wholeheartedly embraced the role of orgasm-machine to bring the younger man some peace.

A smirk wormed its way onto his face. Heh. _Orgasm machine._ Now _there_ was an idea to get behind if he'd ever thought of it.

Heh, _behind._

Jack shook his head with a grin to himself as he buried his face in the younger man’s hot skin, enjoying the scent of sweat and satisfied omega goodness Rhys was putting out. The last knot had really exhausted him for the past hour, and Rhys’ sleepy sighs and way he’d clung to the alpha was really doing things for the older man’s ego. He pulled the resting younger man closer against him, inhaling deeply as soft hair tickled his nose.

God, if he could drown himself in Rhys’ scent, he’d do it. No regrets, not a second thought, plunge head first into that heedy scent and never come out again because _damn_ this was something missing in his life and he sure as hell didn’t want to be without.

Which he realized was a problem.

Rhys’ company was passing off Hyperion weapons as their own. He hadn’t forgotten about that. It was _kind of_ important for him to deal with it, and while he realized his own sense of judgment and priorities were kind of skewed from Rhys’ heat scent, he _also_ realized that that fact wouldn’t keep him from what he wanted. If, hypothetically, Rhys _personally was_ responsible for everything, Jack wasn’t certain at this point that he wasn’t willing to look the other way.

The part of Jack’s brain not focused on fucking coherency back into the younger man was working on coming to terms with the very-complicated fact that he might just want to keep Rhys despite his concerns with Atlas. The CEO was definitely inviting obstacles upon himself that he did _not_ need in his life, but damn if he didn’t always get what he wanted. The weapons thing _would_ need to be dealt with. He couldn’t let it slide. But if he intended to _keep_ Rhys-- and at this point he felt very inclined to do so- he’d have to take a no-doubt _less_ -Hyperion course of action to the fire and death he’d normally rain down in the form of moonshots. 

Frankly, Jack was at a complete loss of how to proceed.

There was a lot more going on here than he’d thought, and maybe Crius wasn’t such a backwater little-- No, no, Hyperion’s reach was just as far and wide as Jack knew it to be. Someone very clever was just playing at being a big boy, and Jack intended to knock them down back to reality. That’s all there was to it. Yup. Easy peasy. Jack could fix this.

Jack nuzzled the fluffy bed head tucked under his chin, humming in his throat. Rhys not knowing about Hyperion made sense if some shady dealings were going on behind the Atlas heir’s back. Can’t be that many brilliant minds for proper weaponry out _that_ far. It would make sense to steal their designs while Rhys tinkered away with all his little cybernetics projects unaware of bigger, money-making schemes behind his back.

Unless it was all a ploy. Though considering the way Rhys had jumped out of that crate spitting mad without knowing where he was or who _Jack_ was, Jack found it a little hard to swallow. 

Rhys was a shit liar, and probably a worse actor. He hadn’t been quite right since the assassination attempt. Though Jack considered that now, especially after Rhys had told him he’d been scared of _him_ after the attack-- something the alpha had not quickly forgotten- that it was Hyperion’s weaponry that had upset him, _not_ the beta who’d attacked him. 

The alpha had to admit that maybe he’d underestimated Rhys for being from such a small planet. The omega had no problem standing up to _him_ after all, which made him more ballsy than about ninety-nine percent of Helios. Hell, the assassin had probably been the _least_ of the younger man’s concerns. As for his involvement in the stolen designs though, Jack didn’t think he’d be able to lie his way out of that. He hadn’t known much at all about Hyperion or Helios or even Jack _himself,_ after all. It would’ve been hard to fake _not_ -knowing who Jack was.

Maybe Rhys’ sordid little home planet was a lot more interesting than Jack had thought. Not nearly as interesting as the omega himself, though.

Said omega stirred in his grasp, sleepy-sounds leaving Rhys’ lips as he inhaled great lungfuls of alpha-musk. Mismatched eyes blinked up to meet Jack’s own as a dirty smile spread onto Jack’s face. 

“Hey, sugar.”

Rhys couldn't stop the low moan as he squirmed against the older man, omega-cock rubbing against the alpha’s thigh. “Jack... please…”

The older man kissed his face while Rhys tried to sleepily rut against him, quickly waking up. It made the alpha chuckle. “I’ve got you, sugarpie… don’t worry.”

“Jack… god please, it’s just-- I need it to _go!”_ Rhys had a look of desperation on his face as he ground against the older man’s thigh, breath coming heavier as he tried to get himself off with less-than-adequate stimulation. 

“You want a nice fat knot, baby?” The whine Jack got in response made a pleased growl leave the older man as he scrambled for one of the many condom-packages strewn about the bed, and moved to get Rhys quickly under him. More or less a simple feat the way the omega grabbed at him and spread his legs around Jack to pull the alpha closer to that slick heat that welcomed his safely-wrapped cock.

Jack groaned out as he entered him, wondering if it was possible to ever get sick of this. The little needy sounds that escaped Rhys’ lips as he pressed up trying to get Jack deeper made the alpha that much harder. The warmth of the omega’s body, the slick slide as he lazily thrust his cock in and out of that cute little hole was the stuff right out of wet dreams. Better than moonshotting entire bandit facilities. Better than crushing Dahl.

That Rhys demanded ‘more’ and ‘harder’ while trying to both kiss and bite him made Jack wonder if Mercenary Day had come early.

Better be careful or _he’d_ be the one coming early.

“Yes... oh _fuck,”_ Rhys sighed out as the alpha’s cock brushed against his prostate. Jack had both hands on his thighs to really give him a hard ride, and Rhys was pulling at him to make sure he was getting every last inch, hips coming off the bed.

“That’s right sweetheart--- _aaaah-_ \- gonna knot you up real good… that’s right baby...” 

Jack’s tones were gravelly and deep, Rhys’ body squeezing him as the omega moaned. God Rhys loved Jack’s voice. And the fitted slide of the older man inside him made his own cock jolt with each thrust as he was aware of every inch moving in and out of him again and again and again. Damn, what an alpha. Jack’s scent, his voice, the grip his large, warm hands had on him as he grunted and moved against him… 

Rhys came onto his belly with a pleased cry as his body spasmed over the older man’s cock. Jack groaned and bent to kiss him, sliding his hands up the omega’s waist with pleased sounds leaving his throat. Rhys’ body pulsed over him while the omega gasped out his pleasure.

“ _More,_ Jack, please,” Rhys whined as the alpha nipped at his throat. Rhys’ fingers dug into Jack’s back in urgency, making the alpha pleasantly growl.

“You want my knot, Rhysie? You want it?”

Rhys moaned out an affirmative and shuddered bodily in anticipation, wrapping his legs that had gone somewhat slack back tightly around the older man’s body. His release hadn’t yet cooled on his belly and Jack was already resuming his rhythm, groaning as he could feel the omega still pulsating around him. It had no right feeling so damn good.

“ _Fffuck_ yeah… You let Jack take care of ya, baby… _ahh_... you just focus on coming all over your pretty little belly,” the older man growled with a groan as he eyed the mess the younger man had made. He could feel the beginnings of his orgasm as his knot began to swell, egged on by the little needy sounds Rhys was making below him as he chased a second orgasm. “Oh Rhysie, _baby…_ ” Jack cursed a mild streak as his rhythm faltered and his hips stuttered, working his swelling knot out and back into the younger man with a groan as he was coming in delicious spurts.

Rhys was moving against him, squirming to get friction against his still hard-cock as Jack loomed over him, still trying to thrust. The alpha’s cock was still pulsing inside the omega as Jack’s hips stuttered, knot swole keeping them together, and Jack was chuckling with satisfaction as he tried to catch his breath.

“You need another one sugarpie?” Jack’s hand wrapped around Rhys’ cock as the younger man whined and gasped. Rhys tried in vain to thrust into Jack’s hand, happily stuck on his knot as he was, but he came again with a gasped moan of Jack’s name. The older man pressed a kiss to his temple and smirked as he milked the omega’s cock of every last drop. “....there you go, Rhysie. There you go…” 

Jack wiped his hand on the sheets with a smile as he leaned to place kisses about the younger man’s face as Rhys caught his breath. The omega laid limply beneath him, legs relaxed from Jack’s sides where the older man affectionately rubbed at his flank. Rhys angled his head for a proper kiss that ended up being a lot more hungry than Jack would have thought so soon after coming. Damn, Rhys’ was near insatiable.

“Jack… Jack I--” Rhys grabbed at him, pulling him close enough to lay heavily upon his torso. Jack made a face as his skin made contact with the cooling come on Rhys’ belly, but he went with it with a smirk as the younger man’s insistent hands pulled. “....Jack, I need to… I need to….”

The CEO took the younger man’s cheek in hand to give him a properly-deep kiss as Rhys pulled at him. The omega had both hands on either side of Jack’s face to seal their lips together, and even once he was properly kissed breathless, Rhys’ hands still massaged at Jack’s shoulders almost beseechingly.

The older man kissed at Rhys’ neck, dragging a hand down his side before coming over his hip and lifting to encompass his flaccid cock. Jack’s brow furrowed in slight confusion as to what the omega needed as Rhys whined. The younger man was still grabbing and pulling at him like he needed to come yet again, but his small omega cock had gone soft, and he wasn’t grinding against him with purpose. Jack groaned once as Rhys’ body bore down on his knot, the alpha’s tone deep and husky. “What do you need, baby? Just tell me what you need. I’ve got you.”

Rhys whined incomprehensibly and moved against Jack with unease as if he wasn’t sure what he wanted. His cock was soft at least, and Jack’s knot was snug inside of him, but the younger man was still hot, satisfied but not _satisfied_ it seemed. Rhys looked so impossibly uncomfortable even after two orgasms that another wasn’t necessarily the cure. He was hot, delirious, probably torturously aroused; his heat was climbing again.

Jack propped himself up on his elbows above the younger man, kissing his cheeks and whispering but it didn’t seem to bring the younger man any relief. The solution Jack decided to try as he snaked a hand around the back of Rhys’ neck was _definitely_ bordering on the too-intimate, but a little light bonding-gland massage soothed away Rhys’ whines, the sounds instead turning to purrs. Coupled with little nips to the throat and laying heavily upon the younger man, Jack seemed to calm whatever discomfort the omega was feeling, and he relaxed considerably under Jack’s hand.

Rhys blinked up at the older man, brain trying to work through the fog. “...Jack?”

“How you doin’, Rhysie?” The younger man took Jack’s hand, bringing it to his face and rubbing his cheek into his palm. It made the alpha chuckle, taking Rhys’ hand and kissing the back of his palm. “You feelin’ better, sugar?”

“...it’s okay?”

Jack cocked his head in question. “Yeah, everything is okay, Rhysie. It’s all good.”

“Yes?”

Jack made a face at the bright, feverish eyes watching. He kissed his hand. “Yeah, baby. Promise.”

The omega didn’t seem convinced, retaking Jack’s hand to rub his face into the alpha’s palm again for almost-worried reassurance. Jack stroked Rhys’ cheek with his thumb as he watched him with a thinking smile, something coming through his own post-orgasmic haze as he considered the omega taking comfort from his touch.

Jack retook his own hand, bringing Rhys’ fingers to his lips to kiss as he watched the younger man a bit too keenly. He wondered _just_ how out of it Rhys really was, and he was ready to test that. “Anything you wanna tell me, kitten?”

Rhys watched him back with dazed eyes, fingers curling on Jack’s hand. The alpha repeated the question, softer this time as Rhys lazily shook his head in opposition, but the wrenching expression on the younger man’s face was as open as Athena’s report at Jack’s desk. 

Not _completely_ out of it then. But in enough distress for the alpha to abandon this line of questioning for later. Rhys knew what he knew. That was enough confirmation right there to build upon later questioning. 

He pet at the younger man as if he could soothe away the worry he’d brought, kissing his temple and easing calm into his voice. It wasn’t that hard to do with the beseeching reassurance on the stressed omega’s face. “Everything is okay, sweetheart. Don’t worry about it.”

“Jack I… I… I’m…”

“You’re _safe,”_ the older man told him, nuzzling him close and kissing the side of his lips as Rhys sighed with relief, but still clung. “It’s okay, baby. You’re safe with me. You’re safe.”

\--

Jack spent much of the time Rhys actually slept budged up next to him in doing what little damage control he could for having up and left his duties in favor of fucking the pretty omega next to him.

Canceling meetings wasn’t a problem; hell, he figured R&D would appreciate the extra week to provide their cellular mutations presentation to him, and Jack would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited for that one.

A few threatening messages on the echonet to certain departments was enough to keep them in line without his scheduled stop-ins, and announcing a company-wide day-off at the end of the week-- because Handsome Jack was such a benevolent president who _valued_ their work- secured the love of every last peon currently toiling away on Helios. 

It was a hell of a way to motivate and also ensure there wasn’t the equivalent of a dumpster-fire for him to put out when Rhys’ heat was over. Everyone should hold one another accountable for one more week, and business should proceed as usual. No one would want to risk Jack’s wrath and ruin a Helios-wide vacation day for everyone else. In this way, he made sure everyone did their damn jobs like they were supposed to while he literally fucked around, and his fans worshipped him that much more.

Speaking of his fans, Jack spent a good time amusing himself on his favorite fanboards while Rhys slept hard next to him. 

He grinned smugly to himself as the amber-haired omega was cuddled up all sweet-like next to him: Hyperion’s new favorite sweetheart, the omega that finally took Handsome Jack off the market.

Jack smugly congratulated himself on having Rhys at his side. Without him even having a chance to set up artificial interest around the younger man, Rhys had managed to captivate all of Helios on his _own._ The theories, the fantasies, the pictures, the _coveting._ The intrigue for the omega next to him was boiled down to a physical desire as much as it was sheer awe of the kind of omega to keep Handsome Jack’s notice on him and him alone.

Jack felt possessive as he read messages others had left on the sub-boards under his own range of topics, from food he enjoyed to the latest company victory. People wondered without shame how Handsome Jack liked to fuck the omega on his arm. If Rhys had other tattoos than the one on his neck not too far from where his bonding nerve must be, and if he allowed Jack to play with it. The messages left the older man smug as all hell.

Rhys was pretty, and tall, and that robo-arm he had was pretty friggin’ cool as well as a testament to the omega’s brainpower. The alpha was more than certain some of the gushing about _that_ simply _had_ to be some of the idiots who’d gotten tight-pants over the cybernetics meeting Jack had set up for Rhys’ benefit. It was the most recent topic on the boards; one that argued the importance of having such a department and wondering if there would be further chances to meet the long-legged cyborg; to see what he smelled like, and how his laugh sounded.

Jack snorted to himself. _Weirdos_. They _wished_. Scenting Rhys was a privilege for the king and the king alone, and his breathy little laughs belonged only to Jack.

Other older messages speculated on how serious the two were, and some claimed to have heard ‘rumors’ about the omega marking the CEO and pulling a gun on anyone who even _looked_ at Jack funny. While the thought gave the alpha an indulgent half-chub, he laughed at the inflated story. Rhysie would probably frown and fluster at that. And definitely over the wishes that it was _them_ who had an omega declare themselves like that even bolder than any alpha, and _wow_ he must be one _hell_ of an omega. What a guy.

There were some ‘what-if’ scenarios and some fantasies on boards mentioning Rhys that gave Jack filthy, delicious ideas, and others that boiled his blood a bit in idea of the competition at just how explicit they were. Lucky for _him_ no one had quite the knot that he did, or could afford to spoil the omega like he could. He’d definitely be looking into that lingerie store though.

There was some boring speculation about where Jack had found Rhys; some wishing they’d gotten the opportunity to charm Rhys personally, and court him themselves. Some wondered how serious Jack was about him, and if given the chance to bond the young man, would they or wouldn’t they if they were in the CEO’s shoes?

That right there was a line of thought Jack _didn’t_ need to be looking into, no _matter_ how amusing or indulgent it was. Just stop it right there. He didn’t have time for that shit.

But the idea of Rhys belonging to anyone else made a fire rise in Jack’s blood, and he refused to acknowledge just how much of an indicator that right _there_ was in the first place.

His self-troubled growls woke Rhys from his slumber, looking up with dazed alert at the older man.

“Jack…?”

“It’s okay, sugarpie.” Jack pet the younger man as Rhys’ arm contracted against Jack’s torso, cuddling closer. “Don’t you worry.”

“Mmm Jack…” Rhys sighed out, breathy as if he’d run a mile instead of woken from restful sleep. “Want you…”

The alpha pressed a hand to the omega’s head. He frowned as he considered Rhys’ flushed face. “You’re pretty hot.”

“So ‘re you,” Rhys murmured as he pressed into Jack’s side. 

The alpha snorted in pleased amusement, putting his questionable board-trolling to rest for the time being. “Let’s have a shower, huh baby? Cool you off some.”

Rhys didn’t fight him much on the idea of leaving their questionably-clean bed, intent on instead following the alpha wherever he went in order to get at the older man’s cock. It excited Jack, as the alpha had a few ideas recently put into his head that he’d like to try in the comfort of the warm shower jets, and Rhys willingly followed him into the basin as cascades of water quickly got the both of them clean.

Jack wished he’d thought out the ramifications of fucking Rhys in the tub itself. Yeah, pressing Rhys into the tiles and making his needy voice echo off the walls was going to be Jack’s new favorite shower song, but standing while knotting someone wasn’t as comfortable as he’d thought, let alone the probability of falling and killing themselves. Rhys sagging against him was proving to be a disaster in the making, the other man’s lankiness not helping matters. What a way to go, though.

If asked how he’d done it, Jack wouldn’t be sure just how to explain how he’d gotten himself and the omega he was stuck in down into the basin, but Rhys was purring on his chest and the water was filling and soothing any strain from his muscles, and it was wonderful and just as excellent as the speculation had provided. Nine out of ten, would try again post-heat.

God, the older man was patting his damn ego with the assuredity of the decision he’d made in the middle of the night all those weeks back. Sure, the scent of the younger man had to be messing with him right now, but he’d known even _then_ that the omega was going to be a good fit for him. 

Not that that line of thinking had anything to do with the way his knot fit in that hot little hole right now.

Rhys was _perfect._ The alpha found himself utterly entranced, all baser, primitive instincts urging him to keep Rhys close, happy, satisfied, and well-fed. He was _his_ omega. Slumbering on _him._ Curled onto _his_ chest as the water cradled them both. Smart little ruthless thing all fucked out and pleased after three damn orgasms. _His._ He was absolutely entranced by the younger man; Rhys was quickly moving up to priority numero uno.

Still, entranced or not, knotting with bone-deep-satisfaction or not, the issue of Hyperion’s weapons would still need to be resolved. Even when Rhys was the very picture of all sweet and fucked-out, little droplets of water catching on errant strands of hair as Jack watched him cuddle close and doze against him in the water, Jack couldn’t just let the thing with their guns go. He had to get to the bottom of this.

Jack took his chance.

“Baby… Buttercup,” Jack spoke against the younger man’s crown. He kissed his temple. “Sweetheart.” Rhys slowly blinked open his eyes, an almost drunken-smile unfurling and his body clenching down on Jack once. It made the alpha groan, pressing another kiss to his head before watching the omega closely. “Rhysie, tell me about what Atlas does…”

The omega looked pleasantly confused at Jack’s warm voice, eyes shiny with the glaze of satisfaction. “...Atlas?” 

“That’s right, sugar,” Jack said evenly, giving him a reassuring stroke and scenting his hairline. Rhys gave a confused purr back, pressing his body further against Jack’s own and mouthing at the older man’s skin. Jack tried not to get caught up in the pleasant feelings of that mouth. “Tell me about the guns.”

“Guns…?”

The perplexment Jack saw on Rhys’s face was real. He somewhat snorted to himself. Maybe now Rhys was too out of it. Wouldn’t stop Jack from trying though. “Guns, baby. Hyperion’s guns.”

A slow look of realization passed over Rhys’ face, and he desperately kissed at Jack instead, clinging to the older man as if Jack could protect him from his own questions. The alpha slipped his tongue against the younger man’s, kissing the younger man breathless as Rhys ground himself against him again. When Rhys pulled back, satisfied with the kiss, he moaned for Jack as his cock was hard between them again.

Jack wrapped a big hand over Rhys’ smaller omega cock, his own knot still throbbing inside the younger man. Rhys cried out, sighs and moans both as Jack jerked him off and nipped at the younger man’s neck. He pressed again, voice thick with arousal. “Tell me about the guns, baby.”

“...Guns?”

“Guns. Tell me what you know.” Jack nibbled Rhys’ ear lobe between his teeth, one hand on the omega’s cock and the other kneading his ass under the water. Rhys shuddered in pleasure, fingers digging into Jack’s shoulders.

“ _Ah!… more… more, Jack…!”_ Rhys whined, body bearing down on the alpha’s swollen knot and making Jack groan and lose his own focus. Rhys couldn’t move a ton, stuck together as they were, but with Jack’s swollen knot tugging at his hole and the passage of the older man’s thumb over his cockhead, Rhys was just shy of another orgasm.

“You wanna come, baby?” the alpha asked gruffly as he nipped Rhys’ throat a bit harder than usual, his own hips grinding his knot against Rhys’ body. 

He didn’t think he could come while inside the omega again-- not while his knot was swole up and caught- but god the gorgeous omega was turning him on with his desperate noises and scent and the way he said Jack’s name. His questions could wait for later. Right now, he wanted the younger man to come apart in his arms all over again. He wanted Rhys to feel the highest highs he could.

“Come on, sweetheart, come for me.” Jack bit him again at the junction of throat and shoulder-- one of Rhys’ favorite spots- and Rhys was spurting over his hand and the water, body squeezing Jack’s cock inside him. It made the older man shudder in pleasure overload the way Rhys made him ache. 

No, he couldn’t let Rhys go. Not at this rate. He’d sooner crash Helios than give him up.

“Fuck, _Rhysie,”_ Jack panted out, kissing all about the omega’s neck and jaw as the younger man shuddered over him. Rhys was pushing his hand away from still stroking his oversensitive cock, and Jack wrapped the arm around the omega instead. “Sweetheart, baby. You’re all mine, you understand that, honey? All mine.”

“Mmmm…” Rhys’ responding murmur was half-purr and all smile. His dazed, satisfied eyes watched Jack as he laid draped over the older man’s chest once again. His heart beat hard and fast opposite Jack’s own as he lay against him in the water, listening to the gentle murmurs of Jack’s voice as the older man touched and stroked and held him close. Rhys purred a great deal after that as Jack still scented and kissed and touched soft skin. 

The older man took great personal pleasure in gently working the omega’s bonding spot with his thumb, the younger man not really listening to words so much as tone as Jack whispered in his ear and stroked at his skin. One word kept coming to the forefront, repeated enough times to make the omega smile, but it was hardly anything to be concerned about as far as Rhys’ heated brain was concerned. 

Jack’s lips at his neck and his words in his ear kept a blissful smile on Rhys’ face until the younger man fell into a snooze atop his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack did not bond him, just in case it might've come off that way. He's just _definitely_ making some executive decisions here  >_> ....Also, give you a few choices as to what Jack was saying to Rhys >:3
> 
> If you're still here and enjoying this after so many damn months, please leave a comment! I'd love to be motivated to start up regular updates again hahahha
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to regularly scheduled updates for now xD haha keep the comment train comin!

Jack slowly pulled out of Rhys with a pleasurable sigh, holding himself up on deliciously lethargic thighs with a smug smile. Rhys was asleep beneath him against the couch cushions, not overly-hot after the cool-cloths and nice big knot Jack had given him, and the omega’s cock was thankfully soft after coming three times. _Finally._

Jack got himself into a sitting position next to the younger man, head leaned back on the edge of the couch and arms spread out as he exhaled noisily in a moment of rest. _Holy hell,_ this kid was gonna kill him at this rate, but it was a death the alpha would welcome with open arms because _man_ what a ride. It was like Rhys’ sweet little hole was made for him.

Jack made a face as he removed and tied off the condom he'd fucked the younger man with, chucking it for the moment onto the floor amidst his hastily-shed underwear with a grimace. They were both a mess, and his penthouse wasn't faring much better. A deep-cleaning would be necessary in the near future, because every which way he looked, he saw a surface, wall, or counter on which he'd pounded multiple orgasms out of the younger man. He was more or less well-acquainted with the various acoustic properties of different parts of his home by now.

He smirked as he drew a heavy hand through his floppy sex-hair, wondering if he had time for a quick shower and scrub down before Rhys needed him again. Because as much fun as it was getting the younger man in the tub, it didn’t much pass for getting his handsome self all sudsed up with more than a quick pass with a cloth to get clean.

The older man bent close to press a closed-lip kiss against Rhys’ temple, scenting the younger man down the side of his face while he rested. He placed a hand on the omega’s side. “Rhysie… you sleep some of that off, sugarcake. I’ll be right back.”

Jack stood there a few more moments than entirely necessary, smugly smirking at the satisfied sleep Rhys was deeply under. He thought he was doing a damn good job. All Rhys’ needs were being seen to and satisfied personally by Jack. Fed, bred, and in bed. It made the alpha’s pride swell. Rhys was being kept hydrated and fed nutritious food, and now he was getting the serious rest he needed after Jack had made him come apart all over his knot.

If there was a prize for being a damn-proper alpha, Jack was certain he’d take the cake.

He gave Rhys one more wipe-down with a warm, wet cloth before tucking a blanket around the omega, brushing his hair from his hot forehead and kissing that stupidly rosy-cheek before retreating to the shower.

The full-pressure of the water soothed at exertion-sore muscles in his back, and the older man sort of laughed at himself for the workout Rhys was giving him. Definitely a different muscle-set than the kinds used to strangle disobedient assholes. He used the time he had to really give himself a proper scrub down with soap and products all, including getting under his mask and applying fresh biogel to his itchy skin. Styling his hair back into its usual style, and a fresh pair of sweatpants, and Jack felt ready to start the entire heat over.

Rhys was still asleep when he reappeared, but the omega had curled up into a ball under the plush blanket tucked about him. Way too cute for words. Jack nuzzled the younger man before picking up after the disaster zone that was his home. Underwear, dishes, soiled cloths, and not one but _two_ used condoms he’d picked up with a grimace. 

Okay, officially _gross._ He either needed to decide on a single room and place in which to fuck Rhys to keep the fallout zone smaller (which, if he was being honest with himself, wasn’t going to happen as there were a great many surfaces and areas left he still wanted to have the younger man on), _or_ he needed about fifty more trash cans.

He made a memo to himself on his comm to bring in some claptrap unit to deal with it all instead. One _without_ AI.

The older man kept one hand on Rhys’ thigh, stroking the younger man absentmindedly as he settled back next to him on the couch. With his free hand, he took up his comm with a smirk as a new data packet from Athena was awaiting his review. _Efficient as shit_ , Athena needed a big freakin’ bonus.

The CEO brought his attention back to Rhys as the information decrypted on his personal comm. The warmth of the younger man next to him, and his scent, and that cute, totally fucked-out look on his face charmed the shit out of Jack in ways that probably wasn’t normal, but he’d be lying to his own handsome face to say he didn’t love it. Yeah, guns or no guns, Atlas or no Atlas, Jack was finding the idea of Rhys going back to Crius harder and harder to deal with. 

If everything worked out the way he was planning, though, he wouldn’t _have_ to deal with it.

His comm alerted him that everything was done, and he opened what was a relatively-small delivery compared to the other things Athena had sent him. He wondered what the hell she was even doing since it had been days since the last packet, not to mention the transit time between transmitters he was building.

There were a few more photos, a document, and a short video with Athena’s own scowling face in the foreground to greet him. She looked serious, aggravated, and fed-up.

He chose to open that one first.

“It’s really hard to do a job when you’re not given any guidance on what is considered _important_ ,” her voice snarked from the comm, and Jack snorted at that being quickly followed by: “and I’m not talking about actual _tactical_ information. I’ve been in and out of facilities here and it’s more or less the same as I’ve reported before, which you seem not interested in.” She huffed in poorly-disguised annoyance. “What do you want me to do about the _guns_ , Jack? I _know_ you’ve been receiving my reports; your relays are mostly built outside of the Pallas quadrant. You need to tell me what you _want._ I’m tired waiting.”

Jack rolled his eyes at the video. Maybe she needed more of a caffeine pick-me-up from those nice espresso machines she was billing him for if this attitude was indicative of anything. 

“The information I have on the planet could fill Concordia, but I doubt you care about the ecosystem or weather council.” Well, she was right on that at least. One more picture of a stupid lake or field of purple grass and Jack was going to raze the place. 

“I’ve sent you more information on the key players out here, at least. It’s the most I’ve been able to get without them knowing I’m poking around…” Her lips pursed in thought, brow furrowing. “I broke into the heir’s home a few days ago but I’ve had to lay low in the border cities since then. Atlas security systems are fairly more advanced than Hyperion, by the way.” Her smug tone, Jack thought, was _not_ necessary. “What they lack in weapons technology they more than make up for in defense. You’d like the shock-guard anti-theft systems.”

Jack wasn’t quite sure what that was, but his interest was definitely piqued. He’d make a mental note to ask Rhys about it when his heat was done.

“Either that omega you’ve got is a total slob, or someone’s already been through the estate. Everything was trashed… And they’re got these huge skag-like things they call guard dogs just loose inside. You didn’t say I’d be dealing with _animals,_ Jack. You’re paying for my shots when I’m back.” 

The look on her face was annoyed by the wildlife factor. _Or_ annoyed with Jack, if her deadpan stare into the camera feed was anything to go by. The thought that Rhys had big, hulking animals protecting his place made the alpha give the comm a toothy grin. Something like a skag but domesticated, huh? That sounded promising.

“As always, I’m _standing by_ for anything to do. If you want me to do a job. Which is why you sent me out here in the first place, if I’m remembering properly. Athena out.”

Well, that was more snark than entirely necessary, but it also gave Jack a few things to think about.

He spared Rhys another look, the omega still fast asleep, and turned back to the files Athena had sent. For all her complaining and downplaying, Athena had sent a veritable dossier on all of Crius’ important players. If he knew about the people, maybe he could easier choose what Rhys would get less upset about in terms of his rectifying things. 

Truthfully he was more personally interested in the omega’s personal life, but if their defensive systems weren’t below Athena’s notice, then that was something of value to Hyperion.

Jack went through the pictures and bullet-points of Crius’ most notorious, snorting to himself at the image of what was the omega’s uncle. He could see the family resemblance in bits and pieces: auburn hair cut shorter than Rhys wore his, a somewhat broader nose in a larger, but still slim face and what appeared to be average build in a well-fed exterior. A glare Rhys himself had mastered was aimed at the camera of the tabloid Athena had taken the image from; most assuredly a family trait. He could imagine the same look on Rhys’ face when Jack really teased him good, and it made him snort. 

Guy wasn’t pretty like Rhys, though. Fairer skin and good complexion, but everything didn’t come together in a pleasing whole the way it did with Rhys’ face. He looked like he could stand to spend a few days outside in the sun.

Jack _did_ dig the goatee the man had, though.

There was the self-important smug image of the head of Vasquez Industrial, Hugo Vasquez; the guy who apparently took the term ‘nature lover’ to questionable heights. That this asshole thought he was good enough for Rhysie made Jack snort. Black hair, oily corporate-grin, and eyes full of an arrogance Jack was used to seeing in the mirror every day.

Jack was head of one of the most powerful companies in the _universe_ , though. Where did this guy get off thinking he could wear that look?

There were images of other company heads and exporters, factual as well as suspected connections to other side businesses-- legit and not- bulleted beneath photos. More photos of what was supposedly Rhys’ trashed bedroom, which Jack was zooming in on with extreme interest, and further documentation of Hyperion goods being reformed were among those files. Priorities being what they were, he made the conscious decision to ask Athena to secure every document ever mentioning Rhys’ name, photos, and anything connected to the younger man that she could get her hands on (more photos of Rhys’ own bedroom in particular being of utmost importance).

Jack typed out instructions to his ill-tempered spy, fantasizing a bit about the veritable wealth of information he’d get about the younger man, when he remembered he should _probably_ mention the weapons issue to Athena. She’d kick his ass in a fair fight if he aggravated her enough, and she was patient enough to _deliver_ said ass-kicking once back in Hyperion space, but honestly he was more interested in keeping her happy and hirable for future missions.

“...but standby on those guns; continue gathering the ooooold breadcrumbs right to our rat. I want proof beyond a doubt _before_ we destroy everyone. So your main priority right now is the family’s relations. And get me more intel on Assquez Industrial. I don’t think those pea-brains are running as big a show as they appear. _Pfft_ the guy looked way too dumb for that.” Jack laughed to himself before scowling back into his comm. “Find out who would want to kill my Rhysie, and why. Actually, find out who all those guns are going to, too.”

Jack stopped his message, grinning to himself with satisfaction. There, Athena had clear orders. Track and record. She could do that.

Actually, that was making poor use of her skillset. Jack hit record once more. “N-n-n-n-no wait… _Actually,_ sabotage the guns. Make it funny. Blow up in their faces. I’ll let you decide on what’s the best way to send a message that they’ve made some poor decisions in life.” Jack muttered a bit to himself, laughing before looking back. “Get some good video when the roaches start to scatter! You know how much I love that stuff. Thanks for the hard work, babe! Talk to ya real soon!”

Typing up a few more words for Athena, Jack sent his video message off to the ass end of the galaxy to get him answers on the delicious little omega next to him. Whatever was going down, Rhysie was right here next to him, no part of it, safe from Athena’s wrath. It was nice and neat as far as Jack was concerned.

Rhys stirred under Jack’s hand, stretching slightly against the touch. The older man’s comm was quickly forgotten as he leaned over the younger man to press a kiss to a pale shoulder exposed from the blanket. Rhys hummed in his throat as Jack’s thumb stroked his bicep.

“Hey sweetheart. How you feelin’?”

Rhys blinked up at him in such clear annoyance straight out of nowhere that it got a bark of laughter from the CEO. The omega pulled him closer anyways until Jack was half-laying on him, only to close his eyes again as if satisfied with the weight of the alpha alone.

“Baby… Buttercup…” Jack pressed kisses to his face that the omega scrunched up his own at, curling further into a ball and using the alpha as a sheet. He only deemed Jack worthy of his notice as a person when the older man sat back up straight again, and Rhys looked at him with offended, accusatory eyes.

“ _Jack…_ ” Rhys tried to follow with a frown, blanket pooling in his lap as he managed to lean against the older man, chuffing with annoyance into Jack’s shoulder.

“You with me again, Rhysie? How about let’s get some water into you.”

Rhys ignored the water from the table that Jack was pushing on him, instead dragging his nose over the older man’s skin all the way up to his neck. Great inhalations with a clear expression of distaste as Rhys clung to him had Jack smirking as he put the water back onto the table. Rhys was scenting him _hard._ This was new.

“What’re you up to, kitten?” Jack purred, a hand at the omega’s waist and another on his thigh.

“Jack… why… why…” 

Rhys was scenting him with what was definitely indignation. Jack just chuckled and ran a hand through the younger man’s hair. “Mmm, what do you need, kitten?”

Rhys gave Jack a whine, not wasting his time to actually look at him while responding. “You smell… you smell… where…?”

Jack didn’t think he smelled after being freshly showered, so it couldn’t be _that_ line of thinking. The older man had no idea what Rhys was trying to tell him until he felt Rhys’ tongue on his neck and his teeth at his jaw, the omega pressing himself skin-to-skin with Jack.

Rhys couldn’t smell _himself_ on the alpha, and it was as if no greater indignation had been done to the man at that point. The omega couldn’t smell _him,_ the alpha having no other omega’s scent on him, which was good at least, and this omega wanted to make sure that Jack was understood to be _his_ territory.

Rhys was rubbing himself against the older man’s skin mercilessly. The alpha tried to get the omega under him once only for Rhys to nearly bite him _hard_ as he wanted to continue rubbing his scent into Jack. It was all the warning the older man needed as he saw Rhys watching him with alert, feverish eyes that warned not to try to move him again. 

Jack was amused for one, but he also found Rhys’ single-mindedness to be incredibly hot. He let the younger man do what he wanted.

Rhys’ rubbing turned into rutting not after too long, the omega crawled halfway into his sweats-covered lap, and Jack encouraged him to rub himself on the alpha’s thigh until he eventually got himself off. 

Momentarily distracted by the relief of orgasm, Jack bowled him over to kiss and nip down his torso to the omega’s whines, wanting to please the heat-crazy little thing something one better than just rubbing one out. 

Didn’t smell like Rhys, huh? Well, the alpha would make sure he was covered in the omega’s scent by the time he was done with him. 

Jack had him bent in half, knees thrown over the alpha’s strong shoulders as he spread the younger man’s cheeks with firm palms to tongue-fuck Rhys’ hole. The sounds of pleasure the younger man made were getting Jack wound up, the whines and incoherent noises as he sucked the younger man’s balls into his mouth, or nipped at his inner thighs, had Rhys nearly strangling him with his legs. It was so good, _too_ good.

Rhys’ scent was so thick here, so strong, and it was making Jack dizzy with the instinctive pleasure of it all. His cock throbbed with the musk of the younger man, heart picking up speed at the breathy gasping of his name, the needy tone of desire in his voice. The echo of Rhys’ little high-pitched whimpers and choked-off sounds of orgasmic highs were making Jack harder than he’d ever been in his life, but Jack didn’t stop. His hands massaged at Rhys’ skin as his mouth explored the younger man, and he hummed nice and deep in his throat while passing his mouth over the younger man’s cock. Rhys was sent spasming into his next orgasm, thighs squeezing at Jack’s head as his body jerked and he howled in pleasure.

The sensory feedback here was _way_ too much for Jack. The alpha was shocked and surprised as he came inside his sweatpants, cock flexing and shooting his load untouched as he cried out against Rhys’ skin. His groan as he held tight to the omega made Rhys whimper again at the ambient vibration, and Jack felt shocked at such an intense, untouched orgasm just from pleasing the younger man.

His knot was swelling in his own lap as he pressed a kiss to Rhys’ smaller omega cock, and the alpha lowered the younger man’s legs as they both caught their breath.

Jack shimmied his pants just down enough for his cock and knot to pop out, wiping himself on the inside of the sweatpants before laying on his side next to Rhys.

“Rhysie. Come here, baby, lift your leg,” Jack whispered into the omega’s ear with a gruff tone. 

Rhys was pushing himself back towards Jack, and the older man lifted Rhys’ leg to slide his knot into the slickness under Rhys’ balls. He put Rhys’ leg back down and groaned at the delicious pressure and hot wetness around his cock. _Almost_ as good as being inside the younger man. Jack chuffed in pleasure as he nosed at the back of Rhys’ neck, kissing and licking carefully as Rhys lightly moaned at the treatment.

“...Jack?”

“Mmm… What’s up baby?” The older man closed his eyes as he gave himself a little thrust between Rhys’ legs. _Oooh_ that was nice. Rhys’ gasp of pleasure had the omega writhing backwards into Jack, looking for more friction. Jack snaked a hand around the omega’s front. He was hard _again._ Well, Jack couldn’t much fuck him with a full-blown knot-on, but boy he had a few ideas… 

The movement around his cock was so pleasurable it bordered on pain, which was actually _really_ doing it for the older man. He was so sensitive that any slight movement made him groan and his knot throb, but Jack wrapped a hand around Rhys’ cock and drew his own up under it. The omega sighed in slight confusion and pleasure both, and Jack just lazily brushed his cock back and forth beneath the omega’s balls as Rhys tried to thrust into his hand.

Jack felt a spike of pleasure go through him as Rhys moaned particularly loud, and he bit down on the omega’s shoulder, dangerously close to his neck. Rhys was coming again with a happy keen, and Jack sped up the thrust of his hips as he fucked between Rhys’ slick thighs only for orgasm to hit him again _himself_ in what was positively electric pleasure. 

As his cock pulsed and his knot throbbed anew just under the younger man’s balls, Jack let out a filthy string of surprised curses as his cock made a mess out the front of Rhys’ thighs. 

He did _not_ know he could come like this, with a full knot and all. Took a special kind of gorgeous to make Jack _want_ to knot what with his busy lifestyle, and at that point he was usually trapped inside someone and already swollen without option for more thrusting.

 _This,_ though…. His body still shook in the aftermath of that orgasm while Rhys was pushing his head back to him in want of contact. Jack pressed a kiss to the side of his mouth and jaw as the omega laid there, a fresh warmth of slick between his thighs wetting Jack’s shaft. God, this must be what heaven felt like.

“Mmm… you’re all mine, sugar. All mine,” Jack growled with a possessiveness he felt to his bones. Jack loomed over him somewhat shakily to kiss face and hands and chin as the younger man smiled and tried to move to his back less than gracefully. He merely grabbed at Jack for better cuddles instead. 

Jack indulged himself in a very dangerous line of thinking, scenting the younger man as he pet him firmly.

Keeping Rhys wouldn’t be difficult, but getting him to _want_ to stay might be an issue. Right now, running at the most base of alpha instincts and pleasure, Jack decided to run his mouth a bit, defenses all but down after coming like _that._

It wasn’t like Rhys would remember his words enough for them to burn him; why should Jack be concerned about giving voice to them? Even just for the novelty of doing so?

Not as if anyone else was around to hear them. Just his own ears, and delirious omega. He could play speaking out this little fantasy with no consequences. No problem. None at all. 

“Rhysie… don’t you just _wanna_ stay here with me? I’d make you the best mate ever, precious.”

“Mmmm… hmmm.” Rhys angled his chin for more kisses. Jack was free with placing them about the younger man’s skin between spoken words.

“How about it? Stay with me? Be my omega?” he whispered in gravelly, satisfied tones into the younger man’s hairline. “Just you and me, sweetheart.”

“Mmm…” Rhys hummed in his throat. 

Probably just an acknowledging sound-- Jack knew he could most likely read off their stock figures and get the same response, but it still made the older man’s belly give excited flips. Jack decided to push his little spoken fantasy, _really_ let himself indulge in what was absolute nonsense and a complete impossibility.

“...my cute little omega… Everyone would be so jealous, you’d need bodyguards or they’d try to steal you…” Jack chuckled to himself as he still traced his nose in the younger man’s hairline. Rhys nuzzled close, practically purring at the treatment as the older man inhaled his scent. “Mmm… you marry me and we’d be _unstoppab--”_

Jack stopped his words as an unmistakable snort of amused acknowledgement was felt through his chest: _comprehension._

The alpha’s face went absolutely scarlet, eyes widening in a rapidfire mixture of shame, embarrassment, fear, and panic as Rhys rubbed his face into the older man’s chest affectionately, and Jack was catapulted back to reality.

“...can’t… I… I can’t...” Rhys murmured, words almost incomprehensible as Jack’s heart was near to beating clean out of his chest. 

The omega purred into Jack’s hold as the alpha was so bombarded by emotion he was frozen on what to do. Had Rhys _understood_ any of that?? Jack had spoken words of fancy not meant to be heard… Rhys was still a few days out from gaining back any proper coherency, if Jack’s understanding of how heats worked was correct. Was it just a reaction then? God, Jack hoped it was.

“Jack…?” Rhys whined a bit on his chest as Jack had stopped petting him, and the older man resumed up where he’d left off, heart still beating wildly as the younger man settled comfortably again.

“Rhysie,” Jack decided to test, swallowing over the huge lump in his throat, “did you hear all that?” The younger man just hummed in response, and it was no more indicative of understanding than any of the other purrs and whines for answer to his question. “ _Rhysie?”_

The press of Jack’s hand got the younger man slowly blinking up to look at him, a satisfied gleam in his eyes and a smile as they settled on the alpha. It wasn’t helping Jack’s panic-- an unfamiliar feeling he did not like.

“You understand what I’m saying, pumpkin?”

“Mm?”

“That joke about proposing?” Jack tried weakly. “It was just a joke, ya know. Your replacement is coming. I’m not gonna marry you.”

“I can’t…” Rhys smiled up at him again, delirious. “...no... can’t marry…”

Okay, _maybe_ Rhys hadn’t exactly comprehended what he’d let slip. This wasn’t exactly the reaction of someone who understood the weight of the words being exchanged. Maybe he was just reactive. That made the alpha’s heart give a lurch of both relief and also confusion. 

But now Jack was distracted by intrigue.

“What do you mean you _can’t_ marry?” There was some indignation in his voice that he didn’t necessarily _expect_ to be there. Was he insulted at the insinuation Rhys wouldn’t marry _him_ if given the option? Was the omega implying he wouldn’t-- not that that even _was_ an option. Jack was _not_ going to marry him. Not really. Fun indulgent talk was one thing, but he was _not_ going to tie himself down. Period. It was just a fantasy and that was that.

Rhys just purred into the treatment Jack’s firm hand was giving his back before shooting an annoyed glance Jack’s way as the older man decided to prod him with words. In all honesty, Jack could _probably_ let the subject go. The younger man was in and out coherency anyways, probably wouldn’t remember any of this. Jack had nothing to worry about looking stupid over.

...and since Rhys probably wouldn’t remember it anyways, he had nothing to lose, either.

“What do you mean you can’t marry?” he repeated.

“...‘m not allowed…” he murmured, burrowing his head rather insistently under Jack’s chin with an annoyed whine. “...Jaaaaack…”

“What the hell do you mean ‘not allowed’?” Rhys gave the alpha a wide-eyed look, and Jack realized his confused, indignant tone had somewhat shocked the omega’s system if the way Rhys’ grip had tightened was any indicator. On the plus, Jack definitely had his attention. “Shh, it’s okay, sweet pea. Who won’t let you get married, Rhysie?”

The omega gave him a squinty look for a long enough time that Jack thought he wasn’t going to answer. A noisy sigh out the omega’s nose-- obviously annoyed with the line of questioning- preceded the answer. “Uncle Solomon.”

Jack wracked his brain. Uncle Solomon? Yeah, guy with the great goatee. 

Jack sat up and retrieved his comm, the loss of body heat very vocally protested by the omega as he tugged Jack back after him. The alpha laid back down onto an elbow as he pulled up the image of the guy while Rhys tried to burrow into Jack’s chest. 

Jack angled his comm at the younger man, curious as hell and ready for answers as the omega seemed just coherent enough for intel, but out of it enough not to filter anything. _Perfect._ Time for a little sleuthing.

“This guy, Rhysie?”

Showing the omega proved to be a mistake. A _huge_ mistake Jack instantly regretted, which did _not_ feel good, as evidenced by Rhys’ unforeseen reaction to the photo.

“Rhysie, baby, _hey now,_ it’s alright,” Jack immediately said as he abandoned his comm to the floor, the younger man shaking. He pet at him, held him close in confusion, scented about his hair and temple as he tried to speak soothing words; to _reassure_ his omega. “I’ve got you sugarplum, hey… You’re so safe, sweetheart, you’re the safest thing in the world.”

The reaction from the photo was neither expected nor welcome. And the urge to rip apart the man for the reaction it had caused in the omega, whatever it meant, was quickly overruling Jack’s common sense. Anger consumed him and warred with protective instincts. Keep Rhys safe, keep him happy, keep him comfortable. Jack wasn’t certain this could simply be written off to the territorial behavior a heat would bring out of the alpha, but at that moment he really didn’t care.

It took a long time to soothe the younger man back to a calm and restful state-- and Jack realized without excuse that he felt like a total douche canoe.

He showed his apology in the form of many kisses and touches and cuddles. He was conflicted about the weapons, yes, but the reaction the younger man had to the photo, and what smelled like fresh guilt on his conscience, made Jack decide that the omega hadn’t been involved in the theft whatsoever. 

Jack decided to spend the remainder of the heat making it up to the younger man.

\--

It was the middle of the night, and Rhys’ heat had already reached its zenith.

Jack was passed out hard with one arm thrown over the younger man, and Rhys stirred beneath it as his arousal woke him from sleep. He was hot, throbbing, woken when he’d come against the sheets in sleep, but now he needed a knot. _Jack’s_ knot. The overpowering scent of alpha musk and heat next to him called out to him promising relief, comfort, and most importantly, _release._

Palms flat on Jack’s hairy thighs, nostrils flaring, Rhys found his prize laying slack over Jack’s hip. He licked his lips as he moved himself towards the solution to the throbbing inside him. The alpha’s cock was insultingly-soft, but the omega didn’t care. 

Rhys’ flesh hand kneaded at Jack’s thigh as he weakly held himself up on his cybernetic arm. He eyed Jack’s cock greedily, breath ghosting over the thick flesh as he got close enough to scent the older man’s musk. It must have felt his stare, or knew he needed it inside him, because Rhys watched as Jack’s cock slowly thickened out as his palm left Jack’s thigh for the alpha’s root. 

The omega sucked and licked at the hardening shaft with gentle lips, the alpha’s musk so thick here it both calmed and inflamed his sense of need. He greedily licked beads of precome from Jack’s cockhead as the alpha grew turgid, belly flip flopping in pleasure at the bitter taste on his tongue that said Jack was _ready_ for him. He moaned as he fit the alpha’s entire cockhead in his mouth, the stretch and girth making his lower half clench down on nothing in need. 

As good as he tasted, as good as he _felt,_ Rhys needed him elsewhere.

Rhys was feverishly climbing on top of Jack, the omega trying to get the older man’s upright cock in him as Jack moaned in slow-waking pleasure. The alpha sleepily cracked open an eye as he groaned, Rhys’ soft hand on his cock and the younger man’s thighs on either side of his hips as he positioned the alpha where he needed him. 

Rhys began to sink that slick hot heat down onto him and _god_ Jack’s dreams had become his waking reality as he lifted his hips off the bed to hurry the younger man’s descent further. The alpha could feel his balls tighten with excitement at the slick, hot, welcoming heat of the younger man's body.

Jack bolted upright in panicked realization and grabbed Rhys by both shoulders in alert, the omega whining with confused surprise as Jack’s cockhead was forcibly removed from his throbbing slickness.

“Fucking… _fuck_ baby, hold on…” Jack’s voice was breathy and thick with sleep and arousal both, heart absolutely pounding at the realization that Rhys had nearly mounted him without a damn condom on his shaft. He didn’t appreciate how much his cock hardened further at the idea of how close he’d been to sheathing himself entirely _bare_ inside the younger man’s heat, coming in him, _breeding_ him proper like the scent in the air begged for, and he groaned as the latex rolled down his throbbing length in want for things they couldn’t have.

Jack wrapped it up in record time before pounding the younger man through the damn mattress as Rhys moaned and gasped and pressed back hard to meet his thrusts from behind. The panic and the surprise both meant he didn’t last as long as he might have preferred, but Rhys was rutting his cock into the mattress and coming on the sheets as Jack’s knot swole and locked them together, and the younger man sighed out happily and was out like a light beneath the alpha’s weight.

While that might have been one of his dirty little kinky fantasies made delicious reality, Jack wondered if he’d have a damn heart attack from the younger man what with the way he was still breathing hard to catch his breath. He reached down more than once in anxiety to make sure he _had_ slipped the condom on, feeling the snug fit that disappeared over his knot and inside the younger man. Yes, he’d wrapped it up, everything was okay, and apparently Rhys had a hunger for his cock unlike any crazed fan Jack had ever taken to bed.

Jack made a note to himself to spend the time Rhys spent dozing after a good knot to sleep next to him _instead_ of pick up around the penthouse. Sleeping hard was one thing, but sleeping _hard_ was potentially disastrous. No more staying up later and sleeping much more deeply than the omega.

What a fun way to learn a lesson, though.

\--

Rhys was tired, dizzy, hot, and all he wanted more than Jack’s knot in him was the oppressive heat of the alpha’s body and being surrounded in his musk. 

Jack’s kisses about his face and neck-- peppered with little pecks to his lips that resulted in deep, open-mouthed kisses if Rhys was fast enough- made the omega dizzy in satisfaction. It was so, _so_ good. This alpha here with him for his heat, essentially _his_ alpha, so powerful and strong and the best alpha ever created, was intoxicating to the younger man. Rhys felt like he was on cloud nine.

Jack was captivated with him, obeying his every plea and demand, looking up and going deep with determination as his head was between Rhys’ legs, or kissing his back, or pinning him against the closest vertical surface. 

The alpha pressing cold cloths to his forehead and stroking his hair with the gentleness of blunt nails as he felt himself grow hotter was sweet relief all its own. The orgasms literally made his brain feel like it was short-circuiting, and the hugs and kisses and gentle stroking and nipping melted the younger man. 

There was nowhere he wanted to be more in the entire galaxy, even when it became harder to think straight when he grew hotter before cooling once more. No one he wanted to be under more, purring with pleasure at firm kisses and sweet words as Jack cuddled him and kept him close.

It was natural, to answer truthfully and fully when Jack asked him questions. Was he hungry? Thirsty? Did this feel good? Did he like that? Was he sure about this angle? It felt _right_ to tell Jack the truth. It was all right, and his heat progressed without a hitch.

“...mmm good, _Jack._.. so good… mmm good…” Rhys purred as the alpha’s knot pulsed in him. 

Jack was nipping an ear, which made the omega shiver and sigh in pleasure. Curling up next to Rhys, running on all his base alpha instincts, Jack was _reveling_ in the experience. 

To be so clearly needed, desired, _trusted._ It was thrilling for the older man.

“You like that baby? How about this?” Jack laved his tongue across Rhys’ bonding spot and the omega practically howled with pleasure, coming once more with Jack’s knot snugly inside him.

Jack was intoxicated with the scent of the younger man, and the power with which he could bring Rhys pleasure. 

He was still careful though, of how hard he sucked or nibbled around the spot that would bind an alpha and an omega together. He liked playing a little on the taboo side, but he wasn’t going to bond the younger man without asking fir-- he wasn't going to bond the younger man. Period. It wasn’t even a possibility or fantasy. No, not at all.

Rhys whined Jack’s name out so sweetly as he laved his tongue over his neck, the older man reducing him to a purring puddle against his chest. He lightly chuckled in secondhand enjoyment at the satisfied look on the younger man’s face. You’d think a knot and three orgasms would’ve been enough for the younger man, but Rhys kept pushing his neck in Jack’s face with purpose.

Well, it was another option when his cock cried out for mercy, at least.

Jack slipped out of Rhys and cleaned them both up, getting water for the omega and having him drink before settling back into bed with the younger man.

Rhys dozed next to Jack, the utter picture of satisfaction. He was captivating enough that Jack unashamedly snapped a picture, saving it for himself with a proud smirk before also sending a copy to Rhys’ comm. Evidence that one was an astounding lover would surely override any bitching Rhys was bound to give him once this whole thing was over. 

In Jack’s opinion, it was an objectively sweet photo, no cock or balls or anything Rhys could protest to.

He was sure he would anyways when he saw the picture for himself.

Jack’s musing was interrupted by the comm in his hands buzzing, and the older man picked up the unknown number with a frown, sparing a glance to the heated omega asleep beside him before addressing the video feed on the other end. _“What?”_

A man with a crew-cut and a barely-there beard was on the other end, looking wide-eyed into the receiver. “Um, Sir, hello. I-I’m with Alpha-Omega Solutions.” He appeared to be reading off a script, but his nervousness as he held the papers in hand ruined any sense of professionalism they were trying to instill. “Your replacement product has arrived. Uh, they told me to call this number when it finally--”

His annoyance silencing the other man, Jack rolled his eyes and sighed out with exasperation. _Seriously?_ Who was this assclown? Had he scared the other one off? Man this was piss-poor communication at its best. “I let you pea-brains know _ages_ ago that I don’t need a replacement. I told the one with the rat-face not even a week ago. So quit calling me. You’re worse than a crazy ex.”

“B-but I need your signature for-- I was supposed to bring the defective--”

Rhys stirred next to Jack at the annoyed tone as the older man was talking about poor customer service, watching the alpha and tugging his arm. The older man ran a hand through Rhys’ hair in acknowledgement, but it was clear the CEO was more attentive of whoever was on the other end of the call.

Whoever was taking his attention away from _Rhys._

Rhys’ heat-drunk mind decided that this meant that the perfect alpha in bed with him wasn’t _interested_ in him anymore, and it just about broke Rhys’ heart in two as he climbed into the man’s lap to desperately rub against him. Jack angled his comm away, not about to give free shows to this idiot.

Jack chuckled as Rhys whimpered before latching onto him with some new sort of energy, and the older man grinned toothily into his comm. “Yeah, look, I already told you. Everything is fine, I’m happy with my purchase. Call me back and you’ll regret it, got it?” Jack hung up and tossed the comm back on the nightstand. He wrapped arms around Rhys to settle the omega in his lap proper before affectionately bringing Rhys’ cheeks between his hands. “You lonely, sweetheart?”

Rhys was focused on the alpha’s smile, the feel of his warm, big palms on the side of his face; Jack was looking back at _him_ again. He had the alpha’s attention on _him_. “Jack, you’re… you’re…” He paused as he blinked, brain trying to form cohesive sentences. “ _Me..._ right? Mine?”

Jack chuckled. Rhys’ brain may be on it’s way to getting fried, but damn if those priorities weren’t right where the older man would have them. “You got that straight, Rhysie, I’m all yours.”

“Oh mmmm…” he said as Jack just snickered. A kiss was pressed to Rhys’ cheek, then the side of his mouth, then right to his lips while the omega purred and held himself against the alpha. 

It was a lie to say Jack’s ego didn’t grow ten sizes with the way Rhys needed his assurance. To be needed so badly by such a hot little omega was one thing, but considering how bad everyone else on Helios seemed to want a bite out of Rhys too-- if his fanboards were anything to go by- Jack felt lucky as hell to have the younger man in _his_ bed.

Really though, Rhys’ brain was probably more mush that anything after the four orgasms in a row he’d given the younger man, but it didn’t stop being amusing for Jack. God, Rhys was too damn adorable all fucked out and looking up at him with those needy, gorgeous eyes. There was trust in there; trust that the alpha he was with would look out for him, take care of him, and get him through to the other side. Jack didn’t want to do _anything_ to risk that look.

It suddenly became _very_ important for the alpha to win him over proper. Because he couldn't part from him, even _with_ the guns thing, which, yeah, Rhysie _probably_ didn’t actually know about. He could lie to Rhys, but he knew there was no point in lying to himself where it concerned the things he wanted.

He just needed to make sure the omega came to see things his way, because as Rhys purred into his embrace, happily wrapped around the older man like a psychotic octopus, Jack knew there'd be no leaving the younger man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack: in over his head
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7.6k. It's been the world's shittiest week, as those who follow my tumblr are aware :( Writing was a good distraction. idk when the next chapter will be out, so this one is extra long. If you haven't left a comment for the story yet, I strongly urge you to (: Additions get made when comments perk me.
> 
> In fun news: [WE HAVE FANART!](https://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/174470920525/starfruitspice-checks-watch-ok-so-its-june) A hella shoutout to [starfruitspice](http://starfruitspice.tumblr.com/) for a super sexy amazing piece from Rhys' little sleep-mounting Jack in last chapter...hehhee (i love the fuck outta it babes youre the best!) yum yum Jack in freakout mode and Rhys just wants to get dicked down haha

Rhys woke up feeling properly coherent for the first time in days, pressing back into the pleasing feel of Jack’s lips and tongue on the back of his neck, gently mouthing at very sensitive skin. Rhys frowned to himself at the pleasurable feelings as he realized the source and the intimacy of the gesture, and grasped the arm jack had around him.

“Hey sugarplum, you with me again? Awake?”

“Yes I'm _awake_ ,” Rhys said groggily as Jack muttered about him being _sure_ this time; if his little brain wasn't fried. Rhys grumbled tiredly, but without fire, under his breath. “...Shove it, Jack.”

“I did, baby. A whooooole lot of times. I stopped keeping count after the second day.” 

Jack’s indecent chuckles went ignored by the omega. Rhys’ other hand slid over the back of his own neck to inspect, voice groggy as his fingers probed his own skin. “You better not have done anything…”

“Done any--? _Gross_ pumpkin. You think I’d bond someone without their consent?” Jack’s voice was filled with disgust at the implication, and Rhys’ hand left his unabused neck while Jack’s nose returned to caress the spot and huff in annoyance at his skin. “ _Gross._ ”

“So sue me for worrying,” Rhys muttered tiredly, though he relaxed back into the alpha and Jack’s ministrations, relishing in the feel of Jack’s tongue laving across an intimate part of his skin. If the alpha had wanted to do something, he would have done it when Rhys was crazy with his heat. There was no danger in allowing the older man to run his tongue over a spot Rhys didn’t often get touched in. Not to mention how damn good it felt. Rhys purred as he backed into Jack. “You took good care of me…”

Jack paused in his tongue-bath, and Rhys frowned over his shoulder as Jack scoffed. “Why do you sound so surprised?”

Rhys silently shrugged, but if the alpha was actually offended or not, it didn’t show in the older man’s actions.

Jack hugged him close, returning to nuzzling him as if Rhys hadn't just cast aspersions on his character, and inhaled the omega’s scent. Rhys allowed himself to enjoy the closeness and the quiet, his mind less hazy and just more or less exhausted after a solid week of hormones amped up to eleven. It must have been a hell of a good heat. Though he was groggy as fuck.

“...How are you feeling, baby?” Jack murmured into his neck.

“Good,” Rhys muttered honestly, stretching in place only to relax back into Jack’s chest behind him. “Thanks for taking care of me.”

“Just like I said, I gotcha, buttercup.”

Rhys luxuriated in the cuddles Jack was giving him. Post-heat cuddling had to be the best most indulgent thing he ever allowed himself, but that it was Jack’s arms around him and the older man’s face nuzzling his skin, _that_ was the cherry on top. 

He was certain his heat-scent was what was making Jack cuddly as hell without any pretense, but he was going to take advantage of any excuse to be cuddled while he could. Wasn’t like Jack was complaining about giving out the treatment anyways.

“Hey pumpkin,” Jack asked after pressing a kiss to the side of Rhys’ throat, “something I wanna ask ya…”

“Mm?”

“What’s it like living on Crius?”

Rhys shot him a suspicious look over his shoulder. Not exactly pillow-talk. “ _Why?”_

Jack only snorted, answering a question with a question. “Do you like it?”

That only served to up Rhys’ suspicion. His foggy brain quickly cycled through bits and flashes that stuck out most prominently from his heat. Did something weird happen? Did he _say_ something weird? 

Or worse, was Jack asking because he was planning not to make good on his promise? The confusing spike of adrenaline and odd warmth in his belly he chose to ignore. “Why? It’s my _home_ ,” Rhys said pointedly, watching Jack with as much focus as he could muster.

The older man gave his best nonchalant shrug, hoping Rhys was still just out of it enough not to put too much thought into it. “Just curious if you’ve ever had half as fun a heat as the one we just went. And let me tell you baby, you had _fun._ I mean, have you seen me?” Jack somewhat leaned away from the omega he was cuddling to motion bodily to himself.

Rhys couldn’t help the relieved snort that left him at that. Yeah, Jack was _covered_ in bite marks, and bruises Rhys recognized as the superior strength of his robotic fingertips. He recognized the work of his lips high up on Jack’s neck and jaw-- really anywhere there had been delicate skin to suck on- and some very tantalizing marks on the older man’s nipple. Jack’s body was a roadmap of deliciously destructive pleasure-aftermath personally crafted by the omega at his side.

Rhys smirked. “Nope, haven’t had quite the same back home.” He chuckled. 

“You should check out the hickey you left above my right ass-cheek, babe. It’s a keeper,” Jack said as he closed back in on the younger man and worried his earlobe with his teeth. The vibration of his voice made a pleasured shiver run up Rhys’ spine. “You’re like a sexy little suckerfish or something, way I’m marked up.” 

Rhys snickered. Jack’s assessment wasn’t exactly wrong, and the omega knew he had an oral fixation. Rhys _was_ curious about what he might’ve done to the back half of the alpha, though. The thought was both amusing _and_ arousing. 

“Don’t get me wrong,” Jack continued as his hands and mouth roved delicate skin, “I loved it, but _damn,_ bet the alphas you leave behind look like they got chewed up and spit back out, buttercup,” Jack said with a snort and a kiss to Rhys’ neck.

Rhys rolled his eyes, but smiled to himself. “Not really, actually. Usually just keep myself on suppressors all heat-- if I can stomach it- and lock myself in my bedroom.” He shuddered and hunkered down further into Jack’s side, purring at the older man. “I hate suppressors. This was _much_ better.”

Jack frowned. “You don’t go it alone, right?”

“No, no, I have an omega attendant I usually call to keep me safe. Make sure I eat and hydrate and stuff. Check in on me every few hours… She knows how messy we can get though so it’s not awkward or anything. ….What?” 

Jack was staring at him, removing his arm from around the omega to get up to his elbow and give Rhys an incredulous look. “W-w-w-w-wait a sec there hot stuff, you telling me you _don’t_ have an alpha get you through it?”

Rhys frowned at the reaction. “No, not really. We have services like that but me being me, I can’t just _do_ that.”

“Why?” Jack’s tone was completely puzzled, unable to comprehend what he was being told. Rhys looked back at him with simple explanation.

“I might spill company secrets during a heat, someone might try to bond me to take over the company, yada yada. You know how it goes.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s not worth the hassle and everyone being in your business _just_ to get an alpha for the week.”

Jack gave Rhys a look like the omega was crazy. That wasn't at all normal. But then again, maybe it was all Rhys had ever known. Jack was seriously wondering how the younger man was sane.

Though considering he’d tried to shank Jack in the kidney with the metal shiv from his cybernetic arm when they'd first met, maybe he _wasn’t._

Sane enough for Jack’s taste, anyways.

“Baby, you know that's not normal, right? _Not_ getting to have an alpha for your heat.” Rhys raised a brow, and Jack nudged closer to the younger man. “You should be able to fuck whoever you want whenever you want, sugarcake. What, you secretly backwater-planet-royalty or something? Only the best fuck-ee for their precious little princess?” 

Rhys snorted at that and shook his head, chuckling sardonically as Jack pressed a kiss to his cheek and ran a hand down his thigh. 

“It's weird, sweetpea. Totally weird.”

It hadn't seemed weird to Rhys. It all had rather made sense back home, and a small part of him agreed that his choice in alpha for a heat should be vetted, what with everything riding on him as the heir to the company. He didn’t want to put in jeopardy everything his family had worked so hard for, especially considering how far they’d come after what happened to his parents. Hell, he was _grateful_ that his uncle had ‘shoot on sight’ commands after Vasquez kept showing up prior to his every heat to try and woo him. Faced with _Jack_ during this heat, Rhys had to admit he felt pretty damn weak and needy for the alpha’s attention, and he was pretty sure he'd do anything to get it if Jack wasn't overly demonstrative with touches and cuddles already.

The idea his heat hormones could make him desperate enough to agree to take _Vasquez_ to his bed made all the failsafes in the _world_ make sense.

“Okay, so you can’t just use any gorgeous old alpha for your heats,” Jack started with a smirk, “Soooo… this omega gets you through it instead? Weird, but to each their own, cupcake.”

Rhys huffed tiredly, obviously trying to be patient with the alpha at his side; as if Jack was a simpleton. “No, not like that. Like I said, she feeds me and makes me drink water and changes my bedsheets and stuff.” Rhys further frowned at the older man’s silence, such a reaction from _Jack_ , motormouth he was, equivalent to an outburst. “I pay her _really_ well,” Rhys defended, obviously not understanding the alpha’s reaction. If anything, Jack _should_ get it, being as how he just did everything for Rhys that the omega paid another person to do. It was freaking hard work taking care of a heated omega.

Jack was gaping at him, trying to further process and correctly understand what Rhys was telling him. This was getting crazier and weirder by the second. This was almost worse than the guns, in so many ways. He wondered if he was the only alpha to have ever gonna a heat with the younger man. That… _That_ he didn’t want to ponder the significance of.

“Wait a second baby, are you saying you _never_ go a heat with an alpha? Ever?”

The omega thought a moment, brain groggy as arousal started to peak again, and trying to ignore it to answer Jack’s questions. “There was one I went a heat or two with, heh, probably like ten years back, but he left to enlist in some war apparently, and at that point I didn’t have anyone else I knew or trusted as much. He ended up dying,” Rhys said somewhat wistfully, settling further into Jack as the alpha’s arm contracted against him. “Way Atlas has been on the rise, it’s not smart for me to use a service, like I said.” Jack felt something inside him twist at that information. Rhys continued with a shrug. “My omega attendant’s been good, though. It works out.”

Jack was silent long enough for Rhys to wiggle his ass back into the older man for attention, but Jack stilled him with a big palm over the omega’s flank.

“Rhysie, that’s just… How the hell have you been functioning without an alpha, kitten?”

Rhys just shrugged like it wasn’t that big of a deal, and rolled to his back to better look at Jack and hopefully coax the older man’s hand down to his hardening cock. Jack was just looking at him in bewildered contemplation long enough for Rhys to whine Jack’s name and lift his hips. The alpha’s attention immediately shifted to the omega’s crotch, all thoughts of inquiry wiped with Rhys’ arousal, and he palmed the younger man before kissing his lips and turning his attention back on the omega’s body while Rhys groaned.

“Don’t you worry Rhysie, I’ve got this.”

\--

“Handsome Jack, sir, thank god!”

Jack rubbed at his eyes with annoyance, a glare leveled at his comm’s screen as the supervisor to outward-communications looked at him with visible relief. “You know what time it is, right?”

“Um, three-PM Helios-standard-time, sir?”

Jack grumbled to himself, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he checked the time. _Damn._ Rhysie was so hot he was changing all sense of time and space for the older man. Jack chuckled to himself before focusing back on the ginger beta nervously looking into his screen. “Right. What the hell’s the problem? You out of cash or something? I approved the budget requests. I know your department got my memo.”

“Y-yes sir, we did! Just, I don’t have the clearance for this, and, uh, the native life on Hiros’ moon have been, uh, _melting_ our construction staff with the relay towers and--”

“And _why_ \--” Jack grumbled with a roll of his eyes, “-are you contacting me about that? Kill anything in your way, dumb-dumb.”

“Well sir, it’s just that the kill-order was under my superior’s command, and he kind of got… _melted.”_

Jack gave his comm an unimpressed look. The man stammered on.

“I-I-I’d need a promotion in order to have the right clearance to order a--”

“God, is that what this is about? You want a promotion?” the alpha grumbled, settling a hand on the sleeping omega’s flank as Rhys stirred beside him. The beta on screen visibly paled, and Jack rolled his eyes. “Geez I have to do all the work around here.” Jack quickly opened up his projects surrounding the faster communications relays between Helios and Rhys’ planet of Crius, finding the man’s picture (and what kind of a name was _Merlvin_ anyways?) altering his job title and all the clearance and authority that came with it. “ _There_. You are now the proud head of construction for Hiros and the surrounding moons. Congratulations, kiddo, good work, Hyperion values your support, yada yada. We done?”

“Um, yes sir!” the beta said with a slightly puffed out chest in pride. “I should be able to input the codes and test the strength of the relays with the Pallas quadrant if it’s all working according to plan--”

“Pallas, huh?” Jack was pleasantly surprised. He knew the obscene amounts of money he was throwing at his workers to get things completed ASAP should have hastened everything, but he hadn’t expected them to be _this_ competent. He felt a rush of self-pleased satisfaction running through himself at their work. “So everything is up and running?”

The man looked flustered a moment before answering. “Well I need to run signal checks and account for communications lag and speeds so everything can work in real-time, and there are still going to be issues with planetary rotations and stabilizing the satellites, but communications are well beyond expectations thus far for such deep space, sir!”

Jack snorted. That was certainly a diplomatic way of saying Crius was in the ass-end of nowheresville. He subconsciously patted the sleeping omega next to him. “Awesome work kiddo. Just what I’d expect from the head of construction. Now kill what you need to and get this shit done. All of Hyperion is counting on you,” he rattled off without thought. The beta seemed to eat it up though with a flurry of promises to work hard and live up to his expectations, and other stuff Jack wasn’t necessarily paying attention to.

“--value the work we do, we’re proud to--”

“Got a quick quesh for you,” Jack interrupted, brain still stuck on annoying inconsequentials. “What kind of name is _Merlvin?_ Your parents stuck between ‘Melvin’ and ‘Mervin’? Or what?”

“Uh, it’s Mer-el-vin, sir. That’s… that’s how it’s pronounced...” 

Jack made a face. “Seriously?” The beta nodded very seriously, and Jack just shrugged. “Alrighty, well, good chat there kiddo, you’ve done us all proud, Hyperion thanks you, may I smile down upon you. Now get that shit up and running-- Oh! And send me some footage of those melty-things, yeah? Actually, get in contact with the bio-chem lab in R&D. They’ll have a field day with that shit. Sounds fun.” The beta just nodded, but Jack didn’t note his discomfort over what were most likely thoughts of his melted superior. “Don’t disappoint me kiddo! Bye bye for now, unless you get melted, in which case, nice talking to you, Merl.” 

The beta’s mouth hung open in horror at the thought, and Jack grinned and hung up the call. Nothing like seeing the open-faced terror on some peon’s face. Meant he’d give it his all to see Jack’s will done. _Hooo_ that was the stuff.

The alpha grinned and set his comm aside before snuggling back down next to Rhys. The omega stirred, blinking once with judgment for disturbing him. It only served for Jack to wake him up properly.

“Hey there sweet stuff. You need daddy’s knot?”

Rhys snorted dismissively at that, though he leaned into the hand caressing down his side to remove the blankets from his person. He smirked up at the alpha. “I think I can be convinced.”

Jack was pleased to find the omega already hard, and even more pleased to get his face between the younger man’s legs before fucking him silly into the mattress. Knot pulsing inside the omega, Rhys luxuriated in being spread out beneath Jack, and he purred with bone-deep satisfaction when the older man was finally able to slip from between his legs and lavish kisses down his back.

“ _Ouch_ Jack!” Rhys barked out as the older man had sunk his teeth into the soft flesh above Rhys’ right asscheek. Jolted from his blissful state, Rhys gave him a no-holds-barred pout.

“It’s fair play, pumpkin. Now we match,” Jack laughed as Rhys grumbled and swatted at him from behind. Jack held him there while he kissed and licked and sucked over the bite until Rhys relaxed back into the sheets. Grinning, he got up to dispose of the condom and hand the omega water with what was _almost_ an apologetic grin.

“That was dirty… I don’t _remember_ doing that to you…” Rhys muttered as he was back to wary relaxation, though his toes curled in bed as he thought of Jack’s teeth returning to bite him in other places. Rhys smirked at the kiss Jack pressed to his nose after setting the water next to his comm on the bedside table. 

“Fair is fair, baby.” Jack plopped back down to sit next to him with a wicked, amused grin while Rhys lazily lounged in the clean parts of the sheets, rubbing his face against the soft material happily. “You hungry?” 

Rhys just shook his head, more clear-minded after each orgasm it felt, but _damn_ he hated post-heat lethargy. He was ready to sleep a bit more, or maybe doze for a while as his body still reeled from the recent knotting. What he _needed_ was a shower, but he couldn’t be pressed to move from the sheets that smelled of him and Jack. Not yet.

Maybe after a nap.

Jack’s comm lit up, and the alpha grabbed it while still smirking at the omega. “How about another big O from big Jack?”

Rhys snorted and rolled his eyes before returning to showing the sheets his tactile appreciation. “I don’t need another one yet, but thanks,” he said with a purr.

“Didn’t ask if you _needed_ one, sugar. But if you _wanted_ one, this--” he pointed to his mouth with a dirty grin and a waggle of his brows, “-works overtime when my dick needs a breather.”

“Maybe in a bit, Jack,” Rhys said through snickers, laying in the sheets all post-coital smiles as the alpha rubbed at the omega’s calf in an almost affectionate way.

“Just say the word baby, and I’m aaaaall-- all yours,” Jack said distractedly as he looked at the notification on his personal comm with a grin.

There was a data packet from Athena, too big to decode on his personal comm. It lit a fire of anticipation and excitement under the older man. Athena was getting a freakin’ planet named after her at this rate. It _must_ be the information he asked about the omega laying across the bed still slightly snickering to himself, and boy, it might as well have been Mercenary Day as far as Jack was concerned. 

The alpha set his comm back down with a grin before dragging Rhys by both ankles across the bed to press another kiss to the bite he’d given the younger man. He then got up and started looking for decent clothes while Rhys snuffled around in the sheets. The omega didn’t even notice that Jack had gotten dressed until the alpha was leaning over him with a pleased grin, one knee on the bed and a hand on the younger man’s face. 

“Rhysie, pumpkin.” He had the younger man’s attention, and Rhys smiled and leaned into the older man’s touch with a purr of Jack’s name. The alpha kissed the side of Rhys’ face. “I'll be right back, baby. Okay?”

“Where you goin’?” Rhys asked lazily as he blinked a few times, wondering why the hell he hadn’t noticed Jack all done up in his standard layers, and thinking the older man looked way better naked.

“Something came up at the office. I won’t be gone too long, sugar.” Rhys snorted, and it only made Jack’s grin widen. The older man brushed fingers through the omega’s hair with a grin. “CEO disappears for one _hell_ of a week-- and I mean _damn,_ sugarcake, what a week it’s been- and wouldn’t you know Helios starts going to shit,” he laughed at the exaggeration. “I’ll be right back after dealing with this dumpster fire, okay Rhysie? Right back. You just rest and my dick’ll be back and ready to knot you within an inch of your life.”

“Pffft, _right,”_ Rhys muttered with a laugh, though he cuddled into the blankets further as Jack’s hand continued petting through his hair. The feeling was almost hypnotic as the CEO’s blunt nails scraped across his scalp. Rhys was mildly aware he was purring at the treatment.

“Back in a heartbeat, baby.”

“Mmmokay,” Rhys mumbled as he cuddled into the blankets, utterly content. He heard Jack leave the room and then the penthouse, and already the younger man couldn’t wait for him to get back and maybe rub at him some more. He wanted his arms around him and his lips against his skin and to listen to the older man’s heart beat wildly in his chest as he came down from knotting him.

Maybe he should have said yes to having the older man’s mouth on him before he left, because _now_ his mind was working again.

Rhys snickered to himself amongst pillows and sheets of questionable cleanliness. Damn, it had been a good heat. He wasn’t even craving anything like mad or mildly dehydrated like sometimes occured back home. 

The thought of Jack taking care of his _next_ heat crossed his mind, and how fun it would be to have him fuck him under the skylight in Rhys’ room back home. The idea gave him a little jolt of want, but he ignored the unrealistic fantasy of Jack ever setting a single foot on Crius.

Whatever, it was _his_ fantasy, he could think of whatever he wanted.

Not that he didn’t have the stuff to fuel his fantasies for the rest of his damn life after going a heat with this alpha. He’d never admit as much to Jack’s face, but the comforting feeling of Jack’s voice as the alpha’s tones went all rumbly and dulcet against his throat, and the man’s big hands on his body made his brain turn to mush. 

He wondered if Jack had been completely off his guard for his heat, or if the alpha was just always like this. Some of the sweet names he remembered were some Jack already used with him regularly, but some not, and his hands were always gentle on his body unless requested otherwise. He had more of a sense of the alpha looking at him-- with what Rhys might actually call fondness- than memory of the older man’s actual face during heat. It left him feeling warm and content trying to picture it.

Rhys most assuredly remembered being in the older man’s large bathtub with him at one point. He wasn’t certain at what part of his heat, but if he thought hard enough, he could almost feel the water lapping at his skin and Jack’s hand at the back of his neck. It sent a little twinge of interest to his cock, smiling at himself and imagining Jack’s groans resonating on tiles.

This really was the best heat ever, he had to admit. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to stand the next one with just his omega attendant to see to him. Not with the memory of Jack’s hands on his body still so fresh and ready for a repeat. The idea of having him under the skylight back home, the deep blue walls of his bedroom like the surrounding lakes, and a breeze coming in off his balcony… to have the alpha fuck the daylights out of him and parade Jack around like a prize stud… now _there_ was a fantasy worth indulging in. Jack would blow the watered-down alphas his uncle allowed him to consort with right out of the damn water, not to mention scare them all shitless. Jack was prime alpha material if Rhys had ever seen one.

Rhys replayed his heat in his head as much as he could recall to relive the best parts he’d like Jack to repeat when he got back. Bite his inner thighs, fuck him up against the window again, or ask him to whisper dirty things into his ear. Talking about his cock or his knot or telling Rhys how pretty he was and--

He had the distinct image of Jack whispering about Atlas to him. Driving him nuts with pleasure, but whispering about Atlas. That… didn’t make sense. 

The blood drained from Rhys’ face. 

Jack knew about the guns. He'd asked him about the guns… Fuck, he couldn’t remember what exactly Jack _had_ asked, but beyond a shadow of a doubt he remembered the words _Atlas,_ and _guns_ spoken from the alpha’s lips..

No no no what the hell had he told him? Had he spilled the fucking beans himself? Shit, Rhys couldn’t remember. He knew what Jack did to people that stole from the company. And what were some refabrications of Hyperion’s guns if not theft itself? 

What was he planning to do with Rhys?

...Why hadn't he killed him yet? 

The omega’s heart was pounding in his chest, confused, scared, still a little hot, and at a complete loss of what course of action to take. Maybe Rhys’ heat scent was _just_ distracting enough to keep Jack’s mind from murder? Or did he not tell Jack enough to earn his ire yet? It didn’t even matter _how much_ Jack knew; it was obvious he must’ve incriminated himself. His heat scent must’ve distracted the alpha from pursuing retribution.

Shit. He was coming down, heat just about done. What would Jack do when it was over and his scent wasn't distracting from more murderous impulses? 

Rhys was up off the bed, big sheet wrapped around himself like a shitty toga as he tried to formulate what the hell he should do. 

Could he get dressed and try to leave the station in time? Hell, even standing up with the way his heart was thundering made him dizzy as hell and nauseous with nerves. That wasn’t in the cards.

He whined to himself pitifully, brain still hazy. The sheets gathered around him smelled like himself and Jack, and it was a cruel thing that the alpha’s scent actually served to calm him down a bit.

Jack had been so sweet to him, taken such good care of him. His hands were always so gentle, would the older man choose to strangle him with them, or choose something less personal, like shoot him?

Brain not exactly firing on all cylinders, Rhys decided to steal some of Jack’s clothes and hightail it out of there before the lack of heat-scent made the older man come to his senses. Upon opening Jack’s closet though, he was bombarded by the older man’s scent, telling him he was safe, he was secure. It was a scent Rhys liked, even as he panicked himself to hell.

He shut the doors of the large closet with himself inside, choosing to cower in a small corner surrounded by the alpha’s scent and the sheet that smelled like both of them. Like it or not, Jack's scent calmed him down, and he felt safer under hanging shirts and jackets. His instinct to run warred with the one telling him that this was the safest place for him to be, and he didn’t move or make a peep as he tried to concentrate on the calming scents permeating his nose, and the sound of blood rushing in his ears.

\--

Jack had what had to be the most self-satisfied, smug-ass grin on his face to date as he walked the halls of Helios back to his penthouse. 

He’d kiss Athena straight on the lips if her mate wouldn’t rip him a new one after the woman herself did. Put up statues of her maybe… but that might compromise he stealth abilities. Whatever. Point was, Jack had a veritable _goldmine_ of information on Rhys. The whole goddamn picture. And some other _real_ pictures to boot. His choice in personal decor, Jack thought, was rather tacky, but Rhysie was cute as hell so it balanced out.

“I’m home!” Jack sang out happily as he crossed his threshold, grinning at the glittering statue of Buttstallion, and already shedding his jacket on the way to the bedroom. “Hope you weren’t too lonely sugarcakes--” The self-satisfied smile on Jack’s face fell as the bed was empty, the omega up and mobile apparently. He checked to make sure the younger man hadn’t fallen off the other side and snuggled up next to the frame (Rhys was going to kill him for that picture, for sure), but no omega to be found. 

“Rhysie?” Jack called out, checking the adjacent bathroom, and no omega found, striding to the room he’d given the younger man for his own personal use. It smelled old, Rhys’ normal scent here, but nothing tinged with the sweet smell of his heat. Jack pouted in errant thought at the realization that they hadn’t gotten to fuck there yet, but the idea just as soon left his head as there was no sign of the omega in any adjacent rooms or lounge areas at large.

He searched the penthouse with growing fear and concern. Had someone gotten in while he was out? Stolen the omega right from under his nose? The penthouse reeked of Rhys’ smell and his own alone, nothing strange underneath it, but he didn’t close that thought just because his nose said so. If someone had been fast, their scent wouldn't linger.

...had Rhys left? But no, the door had been still locked from the inside, and all his shit was still there. He was freshly moving out of his heat, but he was probably still too disoriented to have left under his own power. Would he have opened the door to someone?

Jack’s paranoid thoughts had him growling, an urgent energy running through him as he moved back to the bedroom. His gun felt a good solid weight on his thigh, but he needed more. More firepower, something he could rely on that had served him well in the past. He opened his closet to search for his old wrist-lasers, knowing they’d kill anything and anyone trying to take the omega from him. Rhys’ scent was here too, thick and driving his sense of urgency… Thicker than it should be, actually.

His body realized it sooner than Jack himself did as the older man was moving with anticipated relief and concern to get under all the shit he never wore to see the omega blinking owlishly up at him. Rhys sat in a small ball in the corner of the closet, embarrassed, scared, and emitting a scent of fear combined with heat markers. 

Jack stared at him for a moment of confusion. He let loose a relieved sigh as he moved quickly towards the omega, a bit shaky for unspent adrenaline as he got to a knee and not noticing the way Rhys cowered back as he descended on him.

“Geez kiddo you had me scared for a minute,” Jack said with relief as he wrapped arms around the younger man, scenting up has throat. Rhys didn’t move, and Jack pulled back a bit to look him over with concern as his heart pounded, worry for the younger man. “Are you okay? They do anything to you?”

“...who?” Rhys squeaked out, confused and too frightened to move in the older man’s arms. 

Jack pet at him, tried to soothe as he could smell the fear scent at odds with Rhys’ words. “No one got in?”

“...no…”

Jack pulled back a bit further to properly look at the younger man in his arms. Rhys’ face was slightly pink in this light, his expression tired, exhausted. He was afraid, but still undeniably aroused. It was a strange mix that gave Jack pause, his every instinct telling him: _protect._

“Then what are you doing in my closet, sweet pea? What’s got you so spooked?”

Rhys was silent until it became apparent Jack expected an answer, and his brain spun all sorts of scenarios of how this might go. “You're not gonna… gonna…?”

“Gonna what? Baby, what?” Jack asked with worry, petting him, speaking in low tones, and reassuring him he was safe. Had he had a weird heat dream? Was it not as done as Jack thought, just like the other few times he’d surfaced? The other false endings to his heat hadn't manifested like this.

Rhys was all pulled in on himself, making himself small in ways that made Jack want to comfort and surround the other man with reassurance and cuddles. Rhys couldn't meet his eyes, staring somewhere at Jack's chest. He was breathing a bit quickly, inhaling more and more of Jack’s fresh scent; much more potent and friendly than the older scent here in the closet. It calmed his body even as his brain told him that this was it.

“I… the guns….”

Jack raised a brow at that, but Rhys still didn’t look at him. “Okay.” 

His tone indicated he expected Rhys to continue. God, the younger man wasn’t sure if his grave was already dug for him or if he was doing it right now. “The… our guns… _y-your_ guns, Jack.”

Jack rubbed at the omega’s shoulder, on both knees now as he tried to ease him; comfort him. “I'm still not connecting the dots here, sugar. What happened? Are you hurt?”

Rhys shook his head and took a steadying breath. Dying in a closet. What a shit way to go. He’d meet the alpha’s eyes for that at least… or as best he was able. “Are you going to… _do_ something about it?”

The expression of realization on Jack’s face was both mildly disappointed and also surprised. The older man scoffed, rare dissatisfaction with himself burning over the cowering omega next to his stupid old boots. Rhys was scared of _him._ And it wasn’t the first time, either. That hurt Jack a lot deeper than he realized he was even capable of feeling.

“Geez Rhysie, think I would hurt you?” Jack gave him a little reassuring squeeze that turned into a full embrace. He was petting the younger man on back and back of neck, kissing his neck and jaw and nuzzling him. “That's the last thing I want. Baby… were you hiding from _me?”_ Not that hiding in Jack’s own closet would have been _his_ personal choice, but Rhys must not have been _too_ afraid if he hadn't hightailed it.

Or not thinking clearly, was probably more accurate.

Rhys didn't answer, and it made Jack feel like an entire bag of assholes, which was confusing because he was pretty damn awesome, but _damn_ that look on the younger man’s face made him reconsider his title. 

“Pumpkin… _fuck.”_ Jack stroked the younger man, kissed the side of his face, and whispered reassurances until he felt Rhys relax into his embrace. It was a while more before Rhys was touching him back, and Jack hugged him properly, nosing at his hairline. “Don’t worry, baby. You’re the safest thing on this station, promise. I'm not gonna do anything to you… unless you want me to,” the older man tried to quip.

Rhys nosed at Jack’s skin, the comfort of the older man’s arms around him at odds with the danger present. The concern over false senses of security drove him to throw himself back into the hole he’d thus far managed to dodge, and he somewhat cringed at the way his voice came out.

“But… the guns…”

“Trust me sweetheart, you don’t have anything to worry about.” Jack kissed his forehead as his hand stroked the back of Rhys’ neck subconsciously. He scented across his skin to try and calm the younger man.

“But… Jack.... What do you think we’re talking about?” Rhys managed to squeak out, wanting _so bad_ to just relax into the alpha’s arms and trust everything he was saying, and ignore what he knew. But there was no way Jack had the full picture and was _this_ forgiving. He’d watched the alpha strangle for less.

“Rhysie,” Jack started, kissing his lips, then his cheeks, petting and pressing kisses to reassure the younger man between words. “Atlas is ripping off Hyperion weapons.” He kissed below Rhys’ ear while the younger man stiffened slightly, his intake of breath not missed by the alpha. “Big-ass cache of some classic models. Not even the good shit. _Rhysie,”_ Jack tried, running careful fingers through Rhys’ hair, “ _it’s okay_ , sugarpie. No one is gonna hurt you, least of all me. I won't let anything happen to you, sweet pea.”

It was way too overwhelming for the younger man. He was on edge, still expecting violence. Even when Jack helped him up, trying to joke about the gross old sheet wrapped around him and scenting and hugging him, Rhys was still reluctant to leave the closet. “No, no it’s just my heat making you say that,” Rhys argued, his makeshift hidey-hole with no exit more appealing than the grand bedroom with high ceilings.

“Buttercup, _I promise,_ come on out. Let me take you to bed,” Jack coaxed. 

“What… What are you gonna do?”

The alpha snorted. “Get my mouth on you wherever you want, sugarcake. Give you a nice fat knot if you want.” His words had little effect on the spooked omega, and Jack linked his hand with Rhys’ own flesh digits, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing the back of his palm. “ _Or_ just cuddle you all day, Rhysie. Whatever you want, sweetheart.”

It took ages to coax him past the closet doors, but Rhys did cuddle up with Jack after the man shed a few more layers and got comfortable on the bed and let _Rhys_ come to _him._ The alpha wrapped an arm around the younger man and kissed his fluffy bedhead and whispered to him in a voice that made Rhys’ belly flop in memory of words Jack had whispered to him while his brain was covered in heat fog.

“I know so much more than you think, sugar. I know you don’t have anything to do with this.” Rhys looked up suddenly, and Jack just had a smile-- not cocky or arrogant, just a normal smile- aimed at the younger man in easy reassurance. It turned slightly playful the more disbelief registered on Rhys’ face. “You’re a shit liar sweetheart. Nothing is going to happen to you, promise.”

His belly clenched, hopeful that Crius was far enough out that it might escape Hyperion’s grasp, but knowing nothing was out of their reach in the end. “...what about Atlas?”

“Well buttercup, I _was_ going to burn it all to the ground,” Rhys stiffened beside him again and Jack kissed his head and gave him a squeeze. “But _then_ I figured that might piss you off, and then I’d never get laid again, and that’s just not good for the company.”

Rhys wasn’t sure if Jack was joking or not, and equally unsure if he wanted to know the truth. 

“We’d also never get to the bottom of who the hell stuck you in a crate and sent you way the hell out here, and frankly I’d like to kiss that person on the lips before kicking them right in their big old balls.”

Rhys snorted, burying his face in Jack’s chest while the older man grinned at the amused noise he’d gotten. 

“Are you still afraid of me, Rhysie?”

“I… I don’t know,” Rhys responded honestly, knowing just what Jack was capable of in all aspects of the word. The older man gave him another squeeze, and the feel of his lips against Rhys’ crown made the younger man sigh in slight relief. No, he wasn't afraid of Jack. Maybe what the man Handsome Jack was _capable_ of, but not this; not just Jack. He looked up at the CEO, offering him a pink-tinged look. “Maybe it’s awe.”

Jack laughed hard at that, remembering their conversation when Rhys had nearly been assassinated. That he was joking, Jack took as a good sign. “I’m pretty cool, babe. It’s _definitely_ awe.”

“I know you could burn Atlas if you wanted to,” Rhys added, acknowledging the fact that Jack said he _wouldn’t_ out of deference to _Rhys._

“I could blow up _Crius_ if I wanted to,” Jack joked, but the way it made the omega cringe, the alpha quickly tried to backtrack. Happy mood. _Happy_ mood. “That would be too messy though. Hey, want to see a _real_ mess?”

Jack was grabbing his comm, and Rhys tried to temper himself for something gory and awful. Instead, he scoffed with indignation at the picture of himself all slack-jawed and half-covered in a sheet and half the comforter over the side of the bed. He looked awkward as hell but happy as he was snoozing on the floor, and Jack was all grins and laughter as Rhys batted at him and tried to grab the comm to delete it.

“No way sweetheart, this one is getting framed and going in the living room,” the alpha laughed as he tried to keep it from the other man. “Think like, at _least_ twenty times bigger though. I’m thinking a gold frame to match the sheets.”

“No way Jack _delete_ that! My hair is just-- _why did you take that?!”_

Rhys was attempting to mount the older man to get the comm, priorities switched entirely concerning the state of his hair in the image, but Jack switched their positions and pinned the irate omega with a chuckle. “Wait until you see the other ones, baby. I’m gonna make a wall dedicated to a fabulous first heat.”

“I’m going to break that comm first chance I get,” the omega growled, his belly giving a lurch as he caught the underlying meaning to Jack’s words. _Later._ He’d have to deal with that later. Right now though, his blood all fired up and the big, powerful alpha above him, Rhys _burned._ His cock was hard, he was flush with suspicious relief, and he needed the snickering idiot above him _inside_ him. “Jack… fuck me.”

“Oh honeypie, you charm the pants right off me,” Jack said with a grin, though he moved his grasp from Rhys’ wrists to instead be palm to palm with the younger man. Rhys’ fingers entwined with his own as Jack bent to kiss him, and the omega lifted his hips to try and get friction of any kind as Jack’s tongue moved against his own. His hands gave Rhys’ own a reassuring squeeze as the younger man sighed into Jack’s mouth, and Jack lowered himself enough for the omega to grind against him.

Later as they lay sated against one another, sweet relief coursing through Rhys’ system as Jack cuddled him close, the omega pretended to sleep, and the alpha pretended not to mean the words he whispered against Rhys’ neck as he held the younger man tight against his chest.

“All mine, Rhysie. My sweet Rhysie. All mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're both obsessed and don't even know it, pass it on.
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since the last update, my damn back went out at work checking the liquor, I'm on rest until friday, doc said it felt like being shot when I told him about crying in front of multiple managers, senior managers, and manager in charge of _all_ us fucks while corporate was there, sooo i feel less bad about what i thought was overreacting (: lolol im in a lot of pain haha

Things weren’t _weird_ after the omega’s heat finished, as Rhys was so concerned. Instead, they took a flying leap through a flaming hoop over a shark-filled pool and landed _just_ shy of the extremes of ‘weird’.

His heat changed _everything._ Jack embraced the role of the cuddliest thing this side of the galaxy, and Rhys was loathe to do anything about it as he came off his heat. The casual scenting he smiled at, but the little side hugs and possessive hand at his hip made him inwardly thrill. He was still suspicious, but he was about ninety-nine percent certain Jack meant his every word that Rhys was safe with him; that no harm would befall Rhys or his company over matters of weaponry.

It put him in a unique, troubling situation he was trying to make heads and tails of, and got him thinking more seriously about things he _really_ shouldn’t be… like his next heat, or how Jack seemed obsessed now with touching the back of his neck.

His heat smell would have fully dissipated now two days out, and Jack was still the same; no different but for affectionate touches. So he could rule out pheromones as the driving force behind Jack’s behavior, which both excited and terrified him. Thus far they were getting along way better than before, like Jack was _actually_ listening to and hearing Rhys; quick to reassure him and less to give him smart-ass, roundabout answers to stuff. He was still a cocky asshole, but he was round about the edges instead of sharp.

Seemed like the alpha had priorities in other places than role of sass master, like reassuring Rhys he'd protect him from whatever was going on with Atlas, and trying to earn the omega’s trust. 

Rhys hated to admit it, but boy was it was working. While his brain rallied against it, his instincts propelled him further into Jack’s arms, and Rhys tried not to think too hard about the implications and further blamed it on his heat. 

Jack lavished affection on the younger man without posturing, the unguarded moments where Jack didn’t seem to realize he was stroking his thumb over Rhys’ hand or smiling to himself with an arm around the younger man making the omega’s belly drop. Touching him on the back of the neck made him purr, and the affectionate little kisses without prelude to anything else was almost achingly _sweet._

If Rhys didn't know any better, he'd swear Jack was intent on _courting_ him. Properly. That he wanted to _keep_ Rhys, maybe even bond.

...If he was wrong in that assumption, then nothing to worry about; just his fantastic fantasies playing with his mind while he got back to post-heat normality. Something to snicker to himself about wistfully when he was back on Crius.

But if he was _right--_ and he really, _really_ thought he was- that posed a number of problems Rhys didn’t even want to _begin_ to face, making him sick with excitement he couldn't control.

Like the fact Jack knew about his company stealing Hyperion designs, or the fact that staying in the alpha’s good graces was probably what was keeping Atlas from being a burnt pile of rubble-- let alone how the omega might actually feel about the man or not. Jack wasn't turning Atlas into a crater in deference to _him_ , and knowing what the man usually did in these circumstances, that was _big._

Rhys _needed_ to go home and sort everything out. He knew he did. Too many loose ends needed tying up. Not to mention all Rhys’ _stuff_ and his family home and his projects on his cybernetic eye and his dogs and _everything_ was left back on his birth-planet. 

There was too much literal space between Helios and Crius to even entertain the kinds of thoughts his brain was playing at; Jack had a galaxy to run, and Rhys needed to properly take over as head of the family empire. He couldn’t let go of Crius, but at the same time, he _kind_ of wasn’t looking forward to letting go of Jack either….

This was getting messy. Less focus on having sex and/or feelings with the alpha, more on getting his damn life straightened out. On to business; professionalism.

Easier said than done.

“Jack.”

“Huh?”

“Any news from Crius?”

Rhys was still groggy, though they’d been up a few hours now, coffee in hand as the older man lounged on the couch in sweatpants and his yellow sweater; the picture of lazy home comfort. Rhys’ stomach went all funny looking at the alpha, but he quickly wrote the desire to cuddle up with Jack off as post-heat recovery and nothing more. It would be a solid week at _least_ before he was back to one-hundred percent… so he was allowed to be a _little_ distracted by the alpha laid out like that. 

So long as he stuck to business.

Jack gave the younger man a playful cock of the head. “Yeah, the farmers revolted and knocked down the governor’s mud hut,” the older man said with a toothy grin. “Mass hysteria ensued!”

“Ha _ha,”_ Rhys said with a roll of his eyes. “Seriously though. It’s been three days plus the entire _week_ Jack.” Jack looked back at him, and Rhys waited. The omega gestured in annoyance. “There must be _something_ to report. Something during my heat. Has _anything_ been found out?”

The smartass grin on Jack’s face slowly faded as Rhys leveled a scowl at him. Yes, there was news. Nothing he was going to like though, and _potentially_ drive him to want to return. That was about as far in the other direction as Jack wanted things to go.

“There’s things, yeah, babe. But Crius is so small, I mean, what is even considered _important_ there?”

Rhys leveled a cool stare at him. “Don’t act like you’re stupid.”

Jack wanted to say something to that, but decided to take it as the backhanded compliment it was. “Fine, sugar. But you’re not gonna like it.”

“Says the man who announced my own death like I’d won the lottery.” That got a snort from the alpha. 

“I’ll make a deal with you--”

“I’ve had enough with your deals, Jack,” Rhys sighed out as he took a seat next to the older man on the couch, the alpha scrambling into a sitting position to accommodate him. Jack casually hooked a knee over Rhys’ thigh, and the omega gave him a glare for jostling his coffee.

“Hear me out, pumpkin, you might like this,” he said with a wiggle of his foot. “I’ll tell you _all_ the latest gossip and dirty details of your speck of a planet if you answer a few questions for me first.” Rhys’ face immediately fell, and Jack rolled his eyes and gave the omega’s calf a reassuring push with the side of his foot. “Geez Rhysie how many times I gotta tell you? _Don’t worry about the weapons,_ babe. We’ll deal with it later.”

“...I’m more worried about _Atlas_ ,” he muttered into his coffee cup with a frown.

Jack snorted. “Sugarplum, if I _promise_ you I won’t turn your cute little hobby into a crater-” Rhys gave him a pointed glare and Jack rolled his eyes, “- _or_ a pile of rubble or bodies or anything else, will you freaking believe me already?”

The plaintive note of exasperation in Jack’s voice was obvious, but the comforting brush of the older man's fingers through the back of his hair, and the _not-_ calculating way Jack was looking at him bespoke a deep want that wasn’t inherently sexual; Jack meant what he said, and he wanted Rhys to know that.

This was bigger than the superficial request itself, of course. Jack was asking him to believe him; to really _trust_ him. It made the younger man’s stomach do all sorts of crazy things. Trusting him was another level of intimacy all on its own, and he felt like they were both aware of that. No smart ass back and forth, no posturing, just naked truth and a little trust.

He nodded slowly, cheeks going a bit pink just behind his coffee cup as Jack’s look brightened. “...okay.”

“That’s the spirit Rhysie! So here’s the deal: I’ve got a couple of questions I want some answers to, _then_ I’ll deliver up all the gossip the dirt-peasants have to offer! Boy are you ever going to be in the know, cupcake!” Jack’s enthusiasm for insulting his planet didn’t penetrate the barrier of Rhys’ ill mood.

“...I was _born_ on that planet you know,” Rhys said sourly.

“Yeah, talk about a diamond in a dungheap.” Rhys bounced Jack’s leg from his thigh, and the older man gave him a raise of his brow, and stroked the back of his neck with a single finger. “That was a _compliment,_ pumpkin.”

“ _Compliment_ it again and I’ll bite you next time you think you’re getting a blowjob.” Jack seemed to take the threat fairly seriously as his lips became a thin line in visualization. Rhys frankly did not drink nearly enough coffee yet to deal with the older man’s ungodly enthusiasm.

“You know, it’s wrong that it’s hot when you’re scary.” Rhys snorted and rolled his eyes, and Jack put his leg back over Rhys’ own with a look that promised he’d be good. That the omega didn’t shunt him off made the alpha grin. “So, speaking of being born on that planet, your uncle raise you up or what?”

“...More or less.”

“Are you close? You like him?”

Rhys gave the older man a thinking frown. “He’s my uncle.”

“Yeah, but that’s not what I asked, buttercup.”

They looked at one another a few moments, Rhys trying to analyze all the many reasons Jack could possibly have for asking such a question. Was Uncle Solomon’s life contingent on Rhys’ answer? Was he planning on blaming the issue with the guns on his uncle? Would Rhys be _upset_ if he _did_? Someone at Atlas definitely lied about designing those guns, so surely there _had_ to be a guilty party somewhere. His uncle _was_ always pushing for weapons development… 

Didn’t give Rhys enough excuse to throw him under the bus, though.

“What kind of question is that supposed to be anyways?”

“The kind you’re avoiding, apparently,” Jack said with a sort of smug look. It only increased the glower on the omega’s face. “Kitten, come on. You like your family or don't ya? It’s a simple question. I wanna hear it from the horse’s mouth.”

“So am I a kitten or a horse now?”

“You’re definitely my little wildcat, Rhysie, now don’t try to distract me.” 

“Well what about you? Do you like _your_ family?” Rhys turned the question around, and Jack’s nose scrunched in distaste.

“We're not talking about _me,_ pumpkin. We're talking about you.”

“It's a simple question,” Rhys parroted back, and Jack have an annoyed, sarcastic laugh. The alpha gave his calf a push with the top of his foot, to which Rhys shot him a warning look. 

The older man sighed. “I’m _trying_ to learn a little more about _you,_ sugarcake. My life is all over the echonet for anyone to read about-- like they _should_. I'm pretty damn cool. But you won't even answer a simple question.”

Rhys stared him down silently, not budging on Jack’s question as there was _clearly_ more to it than just that. Jack wouldn’t let it go, like a dog shaking a toy, and that alone was all the clue that Rhys should get more information before volunteering his own. _No retribution for Atlas_ his ass.

The alpha made an aggravated noise in his throat as he rolled his eyes. “Geez buttercup, what I was _trying_ to find out-- with _out_ having to be a total dickbag about it, by the way, but now you're making it difficult so _really_ it’s on you now- is why you’d go to pieces seeing your uncle.” Jack gave him a hard stare while Rhys seemed to process what the alpha was actually saying. “He a shitbag, princess? Just tell me.”

Rhys frowned, all smartass retort dying on his tongue in confusion as he sat up, alert and paling a bit. “What? _Seeing_ him? When? He was on Helios??”

The alpha rolled his eyes and continued rhymically stroking Rhys’ neck. “No, but I got a hold of a picture of him. You, _heh,_ you _kind_ of didn’t like it, pumpkin.” He quickly spoke, nonchalantly while Rhys’ face went through a whole array of different emotions as he absorbed Jack’s information. “Like at all. _That’s_ why I asked, sweetheart. Need me to make him disappear?”

Rhys’ face scrunched up in disgust. “You showed me a picture of my _uncle,_ during my heat.”

“Hey don’t give _me_ that weird look. _You_ were the one saying weird shit. Your little brain was so scrambled, I thought it would calm you down some to see family,” Jack lied straight through his teeth with nonchalance. “The way you reacted,” Jack snorted, amused smile leaving in very real aggravation, “makes me think he needs to eat a bullet or ten.”

“What did I-- ...What kind of stuff was I saying?” Rhys asked with worry sprung anew.

“Stuff about the guns, baby,” Jack quickly lied, the playful smirk back on his face as he stroked Rhys’ skin with _zero_ intent to connect to his own slipup; his rambling to the omega to _marry_ him. “Stuff about Atlas. Other things…” Jack left _that_ open-ended, curious now what the younger man might fill in, and wondering if he could give Athena a kill target order on this uncle or not.

Rhys sighed disappointedly and went limp back into the couch cushions. He swirled the now-cold coffee remnants in the bottom of his mug as he thought. Jack watched him, waiting, wondering if his impatiently-wiggling foot would get him shunted off again. Rhys grabbed his leg to still him instead.

“I guess Uncle Solomon was right to worry about me spilling company secrets during a heat, since I brought up the guns,” Rhys chuckled sardonically. “ _Not_ that I've known about it very long, by the way,” he quickly amended with a paranoid look at the alpha. “I only knew when you took me down to weapons that first time.”

Jack’s hand squeezed his thigh reassuringly, waiting for something-- any indication he could start taking action on Crius. “That's all okay, Rhys, but that doesn't answer why you'd flip seeing family, babe.”

“Unrelated,” Rhys said with a distasteful snort. He took a breath as if to steady himself. “That alpha I said I went a few heats with way back when…? My uncle threw him out in the middle of one of my heats once.” Rhys huffed with distaste. “It, uh, it was jarring.”

Jack sat up, both feet on the ground as he leaned forward to look at the younger man. “Wait a second-- _in the middle_ of a heat? Rhysie, what in the bandit-kicking _fuck_. And what the hell is he doing intruding on your heat anyways??” 

It was only waiting for Rhys’ answer that kept him from sending out a kill order to Athena immediately. Jack didn’t expect this-- whatever _this_ turned out to be. Intruding on a heat like that… The trauma that would cause any omega in such a state turned his stomach. If anyone tried to take him from Rhys during his heat, Jack would rip them apart teeth and bare hands.

“He didn't want me bonded or bred by anyone accidentally, let alone spilling the company stuff. There was a whole board of trustees with ground rules for my well-being growing up… though I was grown by then.” The omega snorted at the irony; all their careful precautions against kidnapping or espionage only to be taken from his own _bed_ and delivered to Helios. 

He hoped his dogs were alright.

“W-w-w-wait a second there, kiddo. You're telling me you were a _grown-ass_ man already, and he just--”

“Calm down,” Rhys said with level voice, wrapping his fingers further around Jack’s hand squeezing his thigh. He gave the alpha a squeeze of his own. “It was a long time ago, Jack. Crius is-- My life was different. You'd have to be there to understand.”

Jack's voice was a restrained growl, regretting opening this can of worms and not being able to do anything about the past. “And just what happened? I hope your alpha beat the shit out of him.”

A side of Rhys’ mouth twitched up at the corner. “I don’t remember much from it-- like I said, it was a long time ago- but I remember my uncle’s blood on the carpet, and I couldn’t get in contact with my alpha for weeks after.” He chuckled somewhat humorlessly as Jack frowned. “Axton must've caught Uncle Solomon _real_ good right in the nose. It took more than a few surgeries to fix the break.” Rhys’ lips twitched in amusement at the memory. “We had a huge fight after my heat ended and I made him move out of our family home. That… That was probably the meanest thing he ever did, taking my alpha, but I mean, I get why… Just, we're on better terms since then, but yeah, it was- I don't think he forgives me for that...” He trailed off uncomfortably. 

Jack’s nostrils were flaring angrily. No wonder Rhys went heats with an omega attendant. “Rhys, if you're even sparing a _second_ of feeling bad about kicking that knothead out….” Jack growled out, wishing he could punch the man himself. 

Rhys snorted. “My dad left the place to _me,_ so, I mean, it _was_ my right.” He suddenly laughed as Jack sat there still trying to process everything. “Axton said I set my dogs on my uncle when he threw him out, so in the long run, things are square. He-- Uncle Solomon that is- he hurt Axton, but Axton gave as good as he got, he told me.” Rhys frowned to himself. “It was as big a mess as it sounds, Jack. I was nervous every heat after for ages.”

Jack tried to picture the fall out and couldn't imagine _still_ being on speaking terms with family like that. “ _Axton,_ huh? I like him already. He came back to beat the shit out of him I hope.”

Rhys smiled at the thought. “His unit already shipped out by the time I was actually able to get in contact him. And I never bothered getting close enough to another alpha to take one for a heat after that.” He offered Jack a wry smirk. “Get it now?”

“I get the omega attendant, and that your boyfriend was some pissant not even gonna come back for his omega--”

Rhys interrupted the growled sentiments. “He died in the war, or he would've come back,” he corrected softly.

Jack huffed, and the hand that had been fidgeting on Rhys’ neck gave him a comforting squeeze. Jack wasn’t going to ruminate too hard on this, because then he was going to get _angry,_ and there was a million miles of space between Jack’s big hands and this uncle’s neck. “Okay, well, still. Your uncle’s a dickbag. Question answered.”

Rhys shook his head dismissively to Jack’s anger, though he appreciated the thought. “It was well over a decade ago, Jack. I don't think about it if I can help it. We’re… We’re on way better terms now.” Or on a level more akin to professional courtesy, more like, but same difference where the omega was concerned.

Jack's face scrunched up with dissatisfaction. “Don't _even_ give me one of those ‘water under the bridge’ things.”

“We don't get along exactly, _no._ ” He gave Jack's hand a squeeze, and the alpha squeezed back in tacit support. “My uncle never liked kids, and then he was _stuck_ with me after… after my parents died….” Rhys just trailed off with a shrug. “So, yeah, not the most ideal of situations. Set up to fail, but I don't have to talk to him unless it's about company stuff.”

“What an asshole,” Jack growled out. 

“Uncle Solomon is _not_ a nice man, no,” Rhys agreed. “But he, uh, he gets things done, and it’s given me time to work on my cybernetics.” Rhys drummed the fingers on his cybernetic hand against his coffee mug with a ceramic tap. “He's a force to be reckoned with and it's why Atlas has been doing so well since, uh… Since he had to take care of me.”

“From the hit on your parents?” Jack asked. “Still doesn't excuse him being a bag of dicks to you, Rhysie. Especially after surviving _that._ You want me to have him killed?”

Rhys blinked a moment in shock-- not for the offer, but for the specific mention of his parents. Something rattled loose inside him at the offhand remark, far worse than anything he'd told the alpha about his family life. Jack _knew._ “How… _Why do you know about my parents?”_

Jack's fingers massaged at his neck as he offered a little insight, voice still gruff as he thought of things Athena could do that would make him feel better. “I had my person on the inside do a little research into stuff, pumpkin. Told you I had some questions. At least now I _know_ this guy’s a knothead.” Jack offered him a smile and a compliment. “You're tougher than diamonds and even harder to kill, sweetheart. I'm proud as shit.”

Rhys shunted him off like he was made of ice, abruptly getting to his feet to leave the room as Jack scrambled up in utter confusion. 

Rhys felt naked-- _vulnerable-_ that Jack knew about his parents-- and the circumstances of what he'd survived that they hadn't. He didn’t know the depths of Jack’s knowledge on his life, but the casual mention jarred him enough that he couldn't deal with it. It had been decades but Rhys still felt raw, certain parts of his life he preferred to stay buried and over with, and the circumstances of his parents’ death was something he tried to _never_ think about.

“Rhys, babe, _hey,_ why’re you so upset?” Jack asked with actual _concern_ as he scrambled to follow after the younger man, knowing somehow he’d majorly messed up, but not understanding _how_ or _where._ The brakes on this conversation were slammed and Jack was reeling from the subsequent whiplash.

“Research it,” Rhys muttered without looking behind him, shutting the door to his lately-unused room and turning the lock. He needed to be alone right now; process the fact that Jack _knew._ The old survivor’s guilt was creeping up on him and _damn_ he couldn't handle both that and Jack’s imposing personality. When the alpha had a hold of something, he would not drop it, and Rhys knew himself enough to know he'd break under the older man's questions.

A sigh came through the door as the knob was tried. “Rhysie, _come on_ sugarcake. Talk to me. What's up? What did I do?”

“I can’t talk to you right now,” he said to the door, watching to see if Jack would try to break it down as he could feel his cheeks heating with old shame; fear that sometimes crept into his deepest nightmares about the past. He couldn't face the alpha’s questions, and he certainly didn't want to relive the most painful parts of his life. His sometime-jerk uncle was one thing, but his parents… god it had all been his fault.

\--

Jack had his forehead against the door, frowning at the cool press of the wood. Rhys _still_ refused to come out. 

Okay, he'd messed up with his little elaboration. That was clearly on him. Parents had to be a no-fly zone; that's when it went south. Got it. He'd need to tread carefully with everything else, and he was prepared to do it. Because Rhys didn't seem _pissed,_ but upset, and that was somehow way worse. 

“Come on, sweetheart. Look, I won't say anything about-- about _the thing_ again, okay? Off the table, no problemo.” The alpha listened, but nothing was forthcoming. Either he was still being ignored, or Rhys had nothing to say to that. He sighed, feeling worse and _not_ liking this sense of responsibility. If he’d made Rhys cry… Geez he didn't know what to do to that. 

His voice was nothing but contrition as he spoke into the wood. “I'm _sorry,_ babe, okay? I'm sorry. The total worst, such a dick. Come on out, buttercup. Open up. Let me show you how sorry I am.”

“Go away, Jack.”

It wasn't exactly _yelling,_ but then he hadn't sounded _not-_ mad either. No tears though, as far as door-filtered voices went. Jack frowned. Time for a new tactic.

“What say we even things up, huh? I've got a few stories you'll _never_ find about me on the echonet… Namely because I killed everyone who was there or who could remember, but _definitely_ some top secret shit, pumpkin. Stuff I’d wipe people out for knowing, and just because I'm telling you doesn't mean I still don't feel like some inbred bandit scum over it. It's bad, okay? Really awful stuff. I think you'll get a kick out of it.”

No answer, but that was to be expected. He'd hit a sore spot, and Jack was certain Rhys would forgive him if he'd just open the door to him. Therein lied the problem. But the alpha was ready to make an ass of himself if it made the omega come out. Telling a wooden door some of the more embarrassing parts of his life was easier than face to face anyways.

“Like, the first blowjob I ever gave, right? I choked so hard I threw up a little and the reputation stuck with me until I got off-planet. Dove in too hard too fast, haha.” Jack’s lips twitched in an unamused smirk at the memory. “Nothing? You know how hard it was to get a date after that? No one will let you blow them when you’ve got _that_ hanging over your head. No? Okay then… Oh how about when my roommate caught me jerking off with a jar of jelly? That was… Wow I can’t really have grape jelly anymore…. He told _everyone._ Like some things you really _can't_ scrub from people's minds. I mean, they’re all dead _now_. But, I mean, come _on,_ things happen when you start a rut… Things you don't want your damn roommate taking photos of and posting in the labs.” He waited, but nothing was heard from inside. “Seriously? Okay then, the worst is when I accidentally mouth-knotted my first serious girlfriend....”

\--

“-and anyways, that was only the _third_ time I’d ever knotted someone after sex in my _life_ so I mean I didn’t exactly know what the hell my dick was doing since it was a pretty new experience, and we were stuck so long I thought it _wouldn’t_ go down, and they'd never taken someone's knot before so they didn't know either, and we both got scared, so _then_ we called out for help which, let me tell you, their dad was _pissed--_ like I almost took a bullet to my ass after we got unstuck-- but anyways they got some lube and--”

Jack fell backwards from his confessional as Rhys opened the door he’d been sitting up against, the omega standing there looking down at the alpha and snorting at the perplexed and surprised look on the older man’s face. Rhys rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried not to smile down at the alpha.

“Jack, for the love of god, shut up,” Rhys’ firm but amused voice told him. 

A smile curled onto Jack’s face, and the older man’s inked wrist curled up and around the omega’s calf. At least Rhys was talking to him, even if it was to shut him down.

“I never wanna hear about who or _what_ you got your dick stuck in ever again.”

“Really? I have a pretty good story about a bird feeder and someone I'm _pretty_ sure wasn't actually a doctor.” Jack just laid there on the floor as Rhys shook his head, but it was obvious he’d managed to somewhat improve the omega’s mood. They looked at one another, but Jack couldn’t take much silence. “You know, the view is pretty good from down here.” More silence as Rhys just looked at him like the weirdo he definitely was after that diatribe. “Feel free to join me any time, pumpkin. Unless I can join you...” 

Jack drummed his fingers on the back of Rhys’ calf, and the younger man snorted and stood back to give him room. “Get off the floor, Jack,” Rhys said with a forgiving smirk, retreating to sit on the edge of his bed as the older man got up with more sounds than a guy as _young_ and _spry_ as himself should be making. The CEO made a big show of brushing himself off to cover.

“Remind me to buy some big expensive rugs from the Edens. Nice ones we can bang on,” Jack said nonchalantly with a grin as Rhys rolled his eyes. The older man came to stand in front of the omega, tentatively taking his chin in hand to stroke his thumb under Rhys’ lower lip. “How’d you like to be the latest thing my dick got stuck in, baby?”

It was more to make him laugh than anything else, Rhys knew, and it worked as he batted Jack’s hand away and the older man sat next to him on the bed. Jack wrapped an arm around his waist and pressed kisses to the side of his face and neck before wrapping his other arm around the omega to pull him close. Rhys was soon hugging him back, face stuck in Jack’s neck as the older man’s mouth was near his ear.

“I don't want you mad, sugar. Just wanted to know some stuff. So don’t be mad, okay?”

It was the logic of a five year old, but Rhys hugged the older man tighter, craving comfort and reassurance in his arms, voice muffled in Jack’s neck but still audible. “You need to learn about tact, you asshole.”

“Fair enough.”

“Some things I _really_ don’t want to talk about, Jack. That was…” he shook his head in Jack’s neck. “I _still_ have nightmares.”

“Loud and clear, sweetheart.” Jack spoke gruffly into his ear, feeling a rare bloom of shame in his gut for the haunted tone of Rhys’ voice. There were things Jack didn't like brought up either-- stuff he'd strangled others over in the past for even mentioning- and he just considered himself lucky Rhys apparently liked him enough to forgive him.

“But you can ask me,” Rhys added carefully, the permission for Jack to get deeper, know him more intimately, both making him sick and excited that he was opening himself up to that. “Just… _ask_ first. With a bit of diplomacy. That… It’s not a nice feeling, Jack.”

“I can do that. I can more than do that. Anything you need, I can do it.” Jack squeezed him, scenting his neck possessively with the closest thing to an actual _heartfelt_ apology he was going to say aloud: “Sorry sugar, you’re just the cutest little thing… I might be your biggest fan.” 

Rhys snorted and called him an asshole again, but he held himself close against the older man, craving reassurance for how unsettled he’d been. Jack might’ve caused it, but he was also the solution; he made Rhys feel safe despite everything.

“I do have lots of questions for you, pumpkin. Lots and lots, but they can wait for a while I guess. I have answers, too,” he said smartly, the smile apparent in his voice as he nuzzled the younger man. “All the updates on Atlas you could ever want, just like I said. How's that sound?” he offered in hope of being forgiven.

Rhys pulled back with anticipation and worry writ on his face for the news Jack promised. A welcome change of topics, hopefully not nearly as heavy, as Rhys’ hands kneaded at Jack's arms in anticipation.

It was at that moment the older man's comm went off in his sweats pocket, and he was going to ignore it except for the identity of the caller: his _special_ internal investigator. This… this could not have come at a more inconvenient moment.

He gave the omega a quick squeeze before standing. “One sec, sweetheart. Just one sec.”

“Sir!”

“What the hell do you want?” Jack hissed into the comm, both for Rhys’ benefit as well as for the interruption it was. He disabled video as he held the comm to his ear.

“U-uh, you told me to only contact you about, uh, _delicate_ matters, sir… if I found anything?”

Jack’s expression changed, eyes darting to Rhys to find the omega watching him as patiently as he could; waiting for answers, literally on the edge of his seat. “Okay, I’ll call you back later this evening--”

“No sir!” the man interrupted, fearful in doing so but _more_ worried about what would happen if this wasn’t addressed. “There’s an issue in the cargo bay, and--”

“Then take care of it!” The growl in Jack’s voice made the man on the other end cower if the whimper that came through was any indication, but he didn’t just fold like a yes-man. A tiny spark of respect went through Jack even as he was being argued with; the man was doing his job properly.

“I-I can’t do that, Handsome Jack, sir! Th-They’re adamant about seeing _you,_ and there was a crate of bio samples that _wasn't_ bio samples and--”

“What do you _mean_ ‘they’?” Jack growled a little softer, turning away from where Rhys was now watching him with a frown.

“I-I-I can call backup to move them, sir, but in interest of discretion--”

“ _Shit,_ ” Jack muttered to himself, glancing at Rhys before his attention was back to his comm. “ _You_ stay there, and keep them there. I’m on my way. And _don’t_ call for backup. Stay there,” the CEO growled.

“Yes sir! Absolutely!”

Jack hung up the call and took a steadying breath. This… was something he _absolutely_ didn’t need right now. Not when he was halfway made up with Rhys. This wasn't a note he could leave on.

Jack turned back to the younger man, and Rhys was already full-on frowning in anticipation of the excuse he was going to give. “Something big needs my attention, Rhysie. You wait here for me, I’ll be right back with--”

“Not a chance, Jack,” Rhys cut him off, standing. All that resentment was right back where he’d planted it. “You said you had stuff about Atlas. I _can't_ wait, Jack. I’ve been waiting the _entire_ time I’ve been stuck here! Just _tell_ me.”

The alpha didn’t appreciate the phrasing there, but this was about as shit-hitting-the-fan as things could get. It was backing the older man into a corner, and he didn't like it. The delicate balance he'd somehow managed to keep was starting to come crashing down.

“Rhysie, kitten, _lamb,”_ Jack said with an unamused chuckle, “You sit that cute ass down and I’ll be _right_. Back. Fast. For real this time.”

Rhys rolled his eyes. “If you think I’m staying locked up in here again, you’ve got another thing coming,” the omega said sternly. His glare deepened as Jack opened his mouth to counter, and he cut him off. “You'll have to shoot me if you want me to stay. You’re _not_ leaving me behind for hours again. I want _answers.”_

“And you’ll _get them, sweetheart,”_ Jack couldn’t help the growl coming from his throat. He’d managed to turn things around, get things on the right track with the omega-- as far as he was concerned, anyways- and it was about to blow up in his face. Either Helios would get wind of him using a _service,_ or Rhys would learn his replacement was there and he could _leave_ Jack. And Jack wasn’t ready to let him go. 

The omega was already strapping his stun baton to his hip, stubbornly pulling on shoes that didn’t match the loose pants and t-shirt he was wearing while challenging Jack with a defiant frown. 

“Rhysie, come _on,”_ Jack said with annoyed aggravation. “I will literally be _twenty minutes,_ tops. Enough to walk there, shoot someone, and walk immediately back. _Then_ we’ll talk. We’ll talk the entire damn night babe. I _swear.”_

Rhys didn’t have words for that, his scowl only deepening as he put a hand on his hip, ready to go, and damn if the way his stupid lips pouted in anger didn’t _do it_ for the older man. It didn’t escape Jack’s notice that the hip he’d chosen to rest his hand on was the one that carried the stun baton the alpha had given him. It was as much a warning as it was a threat. And kind of a turn-on if Jack was being honest. He had no doubt the younger man would try to use it on him if the alpha tried to leave him behind again. Rhysie had some serious balls, and Jack was going to appreciate them later when they were alone again.

“Frickin’ _fine,”_ he growled, not waiting for the omega as he left the room for his own, pulling on a few choice items himself and half-growling, half-muttering the entire time as he left the penthouse with the omega trailing after. 

Rhys might have some long, long, _deliciously_ long legs, but Jack was angry and moving quickly and trying to formulate what the _hell_ to do once they got to cargo, so he didn’t wait for the younger man. But despite his best efforts, Rhys and his gangly form managed to keep pace with the alpha’s agitated gait.

\--

Jack wasn’t being subtle about his intent to _lose_ Rhys on the way down to the cargo bay. Turning corners without any indication, letting Rhys yammer away at him in annoyance or telling him to slow down, causing the younger man to lose his breath with angry curses as the older man briskly walked on, silent. Rhys slowed down as Jack called the final elevator that would deliver them where they needed to be.

“I can’t believe you, you know?” Rhys snapped at the older man, out of breath as Jack leaned against the wall next to the call button. The alpha's arms were crossed over his chest as he remained silent, watching the omega pace. “You could at _least_ let me know if my damn company still _exists,_ Jack. Quit giving me the damn silent treatment.”

“We’ll discuss everything back home, _Rhys.”_

“ _Or_ you’ll just avoid it like everything else and try to distract me from what’s happening on my damn planet.” He huffed angrily, still audibly catching his breath. “...I can’t _believe_ you tried to outrun me, you asshole. What are you, five?”

“You have things you want to keep to yourself, princess, and so do I,” Jack stated a bit pointedly with narrowed eyes. It got an angry snarl from the omega who turned his back on the older man. Jack snorted humorlessly, his temper petty, and rising due to worry over how he was going to handle what was on the other end of this last elevator. “Now who’s five?”

Rhys made a disgusted sound under his breath, counting to ten so he didn’t try to bite Jack’s damn head off. He was frustrated was all. He was antsy for news about his home, his life, and if those responsible for him even _being_ here were caught and found out. And Jack was being overly difficult about everything. 

He didn’t _want_ to fight with the alpha. Quite the opposite. But he was so tense, so wrung out from his heat that he did _not_ have the patience right now for more bullshit. He wanted to cuddle up with Jack and be _safe_ and have everything be figured out, and moreover be _informed_ about what the hell was going on on Crius so he could… make some further decisions about things.

Rhys was standing and glowering to himself so long, thinking of creative alliterations to call the older man, that he didn’t see the elevator silently arrive, nor the alpha get in until it was too late.

“ _Goddammit Jack!”_

The wave Jack gave him as the doors shut on the omega was going to earn him a knee to the knot, he knew, but Jack needed what little time this godsend had just given him. Just enough time for the elevator to return and take the younger man down for Jack to either shoot some idiots or clear up any ‘misunderstanding’... which might also end with a bullet if things didn’t go as swiftly as planned. Rhys didn’t need to know the circumstances, and any squeamishness over the aftermath Jack could smugly say ‘I told you so’ and they could go back up and have some angry makeup sex and life could continue on as he’d planned.

Jack was already half-growling as he left the elevator, pushing all the buttons for the way up before it would pick up Rhys. 

The beta from his personal investigation team was there, the man still trying to rid the empty bay of a pair standing there as Jack himself walked up. His beta took a step back from both the situation and the CEO, standing nearby if needed, but otherwise wisely kept his eyes open and mouth shut. Jack made a mental note to give the beta a big bonus for clearing the place out.

“Okay, _you,”_ Jack told the obvious beta courier, the woman next to him too attractive to be anything but his replacement omega with the hair color and everything like he’d originally requested. “I’ve got about five minutes to spare to get _this_ or a bullet through your head so listen up: I don’t need a replacement. Take this one back, and get off my station, and your blood stays where it is.”

The man gaped at him stupidly as if he didn’t understand. Jack wondered if he was just dumb muscle or if there was much clunking around in that brain of his at all. Given the amount of times he'd literally cancelled his order, he wasn't banking on Alpha-Omega Solutions having much weight to throw around in the IQ department. 

“But… I’m supposed to take back the mistake and leave you _this_ one. I was told… I just have to exchange them. That’s all I have to do.”

Jack laughed humorlessly, his temper dangerously flaring that the courier didn’t seem to get. The new omega looked between them with concern as Jack shook his head. “No, you’re not getting it. _You_ leave. You fucked up my order, but it worked out, so I’m saying he’s on the house.” 

Jack turned to the omega standing docile by the other man’s side, the shit hitting the fan both ways he guessed, but she looked smarter than her courier, anyways. 

“That leaves _you_ in a predicament without a gorgeous new life, huh. How about this: I’ll send ya somewhere nice, but you both need to get your asses off my station about five minutes ago.”

Jack looked at the courier who was gaping in total loss at the omega at his side, snapping fingers in his face to get his attention as neither answered his offer. “Hey, _you,_ pea-brain. Let your bosses know we’re square. You’re _not_ getting the old one back, and this one can have a new life,” Jack motioned to the other omega, “so we’re _square,”_ he said dismissively. “Do. You. Understand?”

They still stood there, and Jack laughed a little to vent the rising frustration that was quickly reaching critical mass inside him. He didn’t particularly find coldblooded murder palatable, and this wasn’t a threat to his bottom line or a major fuck-up by dumbass employees. He didn’t _want_ to put a bullet in their heads just because he was running low on time, but he was quickly reaching that point of frustration, and running out of patience. 

He pulled out his gun from where it was holstered on his thigh. The omega’s eyes widened, snapping to the gun, and the beta’s mouth gaped. Progress. “Do I need to show you how serious I am right now?”

\--

Rhys finally caught up to the cargo bay as the elevator doors let him free. He was aggravated beyond measure and ready to really tear the older man a new one in front of whatever the hell he had going on. 

He wondered if the three strangers had ever seen a stun baton go right up someone's stupid ass before.

“Jack I swear to god you’re gonna get it when we’re back home...” he said as he came striding up angrily, stun baton in hand. “ _Hitting every damn button?_ You really are an absolute _child.”_

The CEO couldn’t help the manic grin that spread over his face at that, even as an impatient tremor went through him. Rhysie looking mad as hell and armed with intent to do _harm_ was turning Jack on in ways that made him either want to fight or fuck. This was clearly going to go only one of two ways, and his mind was shooting blanks when it came to ways to do damage control for what was going to be hellish fallout. Rhys was _pissed._

Dawning appeared on the beta courier’s face as the omega came striding with purpose towards the CEO to tear him a new one. “Oh! I’m supposed to take you back-” the escort addressed Rhys, pointing like he’d just found a way out of the situation he was in, and Jack turned back to snarl at him to shut up, making him immediately cower in silence.

Rhys stopped where he was, the aggravated look on his face joined by a frown of confusion. He looked at Jack for clarification in realization of what was going on and just where they were. So this… This was it. “Take me back? Is this-”

“You’re not going anywhere with _him_ , sweet pea. Don’t worry.” Jack’s voice was a growl, turning back to the man and trying to gather his quickly-fraying patience. 

The jig was up, Rhys was apparently trying to process everything through his haze of anger, and Jack just wanted it over and done with. Was there a point in killing them _now?_ He wasn't sure. The idea left a bad taste in his mouth to be sure. It would be more out of frustration than necessity at this point.

Jack rolled his eyes at the trembling man before him, the beta looking between Jack’s feet and Rhys. It was becoming very clear that the man wasn’t quite all there. He wondered in the back of his mind if they always sent idiots for the long-haul deliveries. Not much brain required for a drop off. 

_Or_ an exchange. 

“Yoo hoo? Light on upstairs? Get the hell out of here before I decide to send you on a private tour of Helios’ airspace.”

Rhys was frowning at the exchange, the unfamiliar man’s whole stance and demeanor _nothing_ like those that strutted self-importantly about Helios, and _totally_ familiar to the styles and body language of Crius. 

So this _was_ it? Someone from his own planet, way the hell out here in Hyperion-controlled space. One of the people who’d delivered Rhys to Jack’s own doorstep. It made perfect sense why Jack didn’t want him down here. 

It also meant the omega at the man’s side was Rhys’ replacement like they’d been waiting for all these weeks. It made him angry and sick all at once. The younger man’s heart dropped with a quick look at Jack angrily yelling before focusing back on the woman. That was their deal, right? Rhys would go home once his replacement came. He could leave at any time now. Jack had his trophy mate, and Rhys could retake his life back on Crius; sort shit out. 

His stomach was in knots. The replacement was uncrated, _not_ flipping out like Rhys had. Someone who _wanted_ the position Jack had in mind, eager to take Rhys’ place. The idea made him sick and territorial all at once. 

The new omega was looking at him intensely as Jack was quickly losing his patience with what was clearly a halfwit courier, the CEO’s standard course of yelling and threats not achieving any results as the other beta standing to the side winced at the full-force anger of Handsome Jack. The courier was beginning to make a scene, tears and babbling, but it was _Rhys_ that the other omega watched. 

Rhys cocked his head at her inspection, and she seemed to stiffen under his attention. A light dawned in his head as he opened his mouth, and her eyes widened.

“Hey, I _know_ you,” Rhys said in flabbergasted recognition, and something akin to fierce determination entered her eyes. 

She launched herself at Rhys without warning, open shock on his face as he was frozen there still trying to process. He never even saw the gun until it was thrown from her hand as a bullet hit her just shy of her heart. She was dead before she even hit the ground, threat totally neutralized.

Rhys hadn’t even seen Jack move, but the pistol in his hand was smoking, and Rhys was enveloped in his arms almost without pause. His heart didn’t even have a chance to pick up speed until the danger was already past, and at that point he was shocked silent.

“Man, hypersleep does _not_ agree with you guys, does it?” Jack’s voice was the very picture of relief, a gruff sound as he buried his nose in Rhys’ hair, arm holding him close. The alpha gave a look to the courier for the dead, the man cowered low covering his ears. He looked up at Jack after a moment, meeting his eyes, and the CEO chuckled darkly. “You, _ooooh-ho-ho,_ you are in _Big_ trouble, kitten. With a capital B.”

Rhys pressed into Jack’s side where the older man held him, floored with shell shocked confusion while Jack gave some orders to the Hyperion beta, and told the other guy not to move. Rhys was breathing hard, not really listening to the conversation Jack was giving the underling, body a bit shaky as he clung to the CEO and his brain went on overdrive.

The dead woman worked for Atlas. He was positive about it. On a budget committee or HR or _something._ Someone he didn't regularly meet, but someone he somehow _knew._

“-and go ahead and call in a cleanup crew… I’m authorizing a fully-funded vacation on one of Hyperion’s beach planets for everyone involved that knows how to keep their mouth _shut,”_ Jack told the beta eagerly nodding and contacting janitorial and security on his comm. “And a very special vacation to the scenic views of Elpis just _outside_ of Helios for anyone who _talks,_ got it cupcake? The name of the game is _discretion.”_

“Yes sir Handsome Jack!”

“Jack,” Rhys murmured, squeezing the older man’s shoulder as he clung.

“Cool, awesome, I’m counting on you and all that. _Doooon’t_ disappoint me now!” the alpha said in way too cheery a voice. It served to get a vigorous nod from the beta who just stood there waiting for further orders. “What? You brain dead or something too? Come on, _get to it.”_

“Jack…”

The alpha gave his full attention to Rhys, pressing a kiss to the side of his face and enveloping him in both arms as the courier was brought to his knees by a very-nervous clerk. “You okay baby? You’re not going back with them, I promise. Weirdos aren’t touching a single hair on that angry little head,” the alpha teased, emboldened by the fact Rhys wasn't gunning to kick him right in the knot anymore. 

Rhys ignored his good-humor. “She works for Atlas.”

“Not anymore she don’t.” Rhys looked at him with a sort of lost, incomprehensible expression, acceptance hard coming. He was drawing the same conclusions Jack already had in Athena’s reports, and the small-planet omega wasn’t liking what he found. Jack had hoped he could put this off for a few more days… or _forever_ if he was good. 

“I don’t… I just don’t… She _works_ for _Atlas,_ Jack.”

“I know, kitten.”

“She’s… I’ve talked to her…I know I have.”

Jack raised a brow at that, but didn’t comment as he pressed a kiss to Rhys’ cheek. “It’s okay, pumpkin.” Jack gave a sardonic chuckle. “There's stuff going on there that you're not going to like, baby.”

“It doesn’t… It doesn’t make any sense… Why attack me?”

Jack shrugged. “It doesn’t need to make sense if it's an assassination, sweetheart. Hey, you're O for two, Rhysie! That calls for champagne.”

“....I think she’s been to my house.”

Jack raised a brow. Clearly this was too much for the younger man. “You gonna yartz, pumpkin?” Jack asked as he saw the way Rhys kept staring at the dead omega at their feet. Shell-shocked didn’t seem to quite cover it. Of all the ways Jack expected things to go, this wasn’t even on his radar. The younger man would need time to process this.

“I hope not…” Rhys muttered, feeling very sick over everything, but the dead body wasn’t even the worst of it. “I wanna go _home,_ Jack.”

The alpha stiffened slightly, smile frozen on his face as his fears came to fruition. He looked down at the omega, and Rhys looked back up at him. “Uh, after _that?_ Seriously?”

Rhys shook his head, unamused and not in a mood to play or have Jack amused over his poor choice of words. “Take me back-- _upstairs-_ \- whatever. Shut up, I’m not in the mood.”

“Hey now that’s easy peasy Rhysie,” the alpha purred without a single smug remark or prod. He just pressed a kiss to his cheek, arm tighter around the omega and steered him away from the growing puddle of blood and death as his security officers were making their entrance into the cargo bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got anxiety, i worry over not hitting my marks, and that you guys are just being nice with the copy/paste 'great stuff can't wait for more!' generic comment to cover when it was in fact a shit, not-at-all well-done chapter (that's how i know i've failed with a chapter). Soooo if you liked anything from these 21 pages of writing, please let me know D: This chapter went through multiple rewrites and about six hours of re-editing and im still not confident about it but i can't do anymore with my back dead haha :|
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, my back is feeling better but it's still fucked (you can still see the injury if you look at my bare skin X_X) and to add insult to injury, I'm sick now! (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
> 
>  _Anyways_ all your comments last chapter freaking FLOORED me i probably spent as much time reading them as you guys did the last chapter and i just want to thank you for that omg :D 12.4k, 27 pages here. If that isn't an example of how beneficial it is to readers to leave a comment of substance i dont know what is xD Enjoy babes  <3

The ride back to the penthouse was silent. 

Jack tried to start conversation a few times as they stalked the halls together, but Rhys wasn't biting. The alpha was fit to burst from nervous anticipation by the time they crossed the threshold to the penthouse.

“Sooo…. Elephant in the room, we gonna have a heart-to-heart or what?” Jack's voice was cocky and confident, but the nonchalant grin on his face didn't quite reach his eyes. 

“I don't- ...Just tell me about Crius, _please_ ,” Rhys said, still reeling over his planet mates actually being on Helios; that someone who essentially worked for him had just tried to kill him, and he had no idea _why_. Things were apparently bigger and far worse than Rhys even imagined.

He just didn't have the energy to deal with anything between him and Jack right now.

“Rhysie-”

“ _Please,_ Jack.”

Jack frowned, all bravado stripped as they looked at one another. He was nervous; _scared,_ he realized. He didn't want to start down this road, because he knew where it would end, and he still hadn’t solved the issue of how to get the omega to _stay_ without breaking their deal. Rhys could now leave, and armed with info, he probably _would._ No hiding his replacement now, even _if_ she was being cleaned up by janitorial.

His only hope was that Rhys would be smart enough to realize this was a shitstorm he couldn't weather alone, and _stay_ with Jack.

“Can’t we just, like, do this _later?_ ” Jack whined out his annoyance. “After some congratulatory champagne or something, babe? You _did_ just survive your second assassination.”

Jack was trying to put it off; avoiding the question with self-preservation as blatantly as Rhys had. It would have been funny any other time to see the alpha so rattled, but Rhys had a very personal stake in this, and he needed to start sorting apples from oranges. “ _Jack.”_

The CEO plopped down on the couch, elbows on his knees as he looked up at the younger man. He couldn’t stand the unknown; probably even less than Rhys could. Better to rip it off hard and fast like a bandaid. “Just tell me this first, Rhys: are you gonna leave?”

The ‘ _me’_ was unspoken, but he didn’t need to say it. 

“I don't wanna leave,” Rhys stated without hesitation, a troubled frown on his face as he stood across from the alpha. 

Jack’s face brightened, a feeling comprised of triumph, satisfaction, vindication, and overall _relief_ flowing through him at the omega’s words. It was mutual; whatever the hell _this_ was, Rhys genuinely liked him at least enough to stay. He sat up straighter, but Rhys wasn't finished speaking, and the levity Jack felt inside flashed and gone like so much lightning in a storm. 

“I don't wanna, but I _have_ to. I have to straighten things out.”

“Rhys, babe, you _don't_ have to, is the beauty of it,” Jack pointed out, hearing the desperation in his own voice and not recognizing himself one bit. His heart rate sped up a bit in embarrassment at the realization, but he couldn't stop pleading his case. “Just _stay_ here. We can fuck every night until the sun explodes and shoot guns and play stupid video games and you can buy anything you ever wanted _and_ I'll make you head of cybernetics here. All the funding your cute little butt could ever want, just like the big boys have. How does _that_ sound? Pretty damn good am I right?”

The look on Jack's face was breaking Rhys’ heart. It was alien to what he’d come to expect the past month. The manic desperation there; the lack of confidence and overabundant ego absent his request was more honest than anything Jack had ever said up until that point. Jack wanted Rhys to _stay._ Badly. And Rhys wanted everything Jack offered, and so much more. It was the most tempting thing he'd ever wanted in his life. 

All the anger and frustration previous had seeped out, and Rhys was left feeling raw; torn by what he wanted to do and what he _needed_ to do.

“I _need_ things to be right on Crius,” Rhys barely choked out. “You don't-- maybe _after--_ People _like_ me there, Jack. Something is-- It’s _really_ wrong there if they're coming all the way out here to-- to.... I can't just let it _be.”_

“Well how about this,” Jack bargained quickly, trying to get a dog in a fight that was already decided. “I'll have my assassin out there take care of everything for us and you never have to step a _foot_ off Helios. One of the benefits to how filthy dirty rich I am, babe. Nice and neat tied up with a bow. Very definition of convenient, and you never have to lift a finger.”

“That's not the same and you know it,” Rhys stated unhappily.

“Rhysie, baby, come on now.” Jack got back to his feet, voice beseeching as he was beginning to sense he wasn’t going to break Rhys’ resolve. His voice was desperate, almost begging, except Handsome Jack didn’t _beg_. “Take a step back from _everything_ a minute sweetheart: wouldn't you _rather_ stay here?”

_With me._

Rhys’ brows twitched. God that hurt. That _really_ hurt. Someone was going to pay for bringing them together like this from the opposite ends of the universe. Two extremes with way too much riding between them to just ignore. This wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. 

Looking at Jack painfully, he made a serious counter offer he already knew the answer to: “Why don't you come back _with_ me?” Jack was pulled up short by that, and Rhys continued on; trying to convince the older man the same way Jack was him. “I know it's small, and far away, but it's home. I _know_ you’d like it. It's a good place, Jack. I was born there. I have a life there, my house... It's, it's really _nice.”_

“You can have a new life _here_ …” Jack said not at all strongly, too much feeling leaking through that he _really_ didn’t know how to handle. His heart sped up a great deal at the offer; Rhys really _didn’t_ want to leave him. If he could only make the problems go away, maybe he wouldn’t feel like he _had_ to.

“ _Please,”_ Rhys asked, their mismatched eyes looking at one another with more depth than either man was really ready to acknowledge. He knew what he was asking even when he knew Jack would never agree to it, but he _had_ to ask; had to try.

Jack broke eye contact first, clearing his throat. “Let's… Let’s discuss this later,” the older man said, holding absolutely _everything_ back in case the wrong thing slipped out. It might have been _just_ this side of cowardly as he clearly could not deal with the situation right now, but it was either retreat to a different topic or deal with things in ways that would only make it worse. The older man sat back down to lean against the cushions, their softness doing little to comfort a shitty situation. “You wanted news, and I’ve got it, so let’s do that right now.”

Jack cleared his throat again as if to give himself a little shake away from feeling too much. Back to business. CEO-mode. He could do that. Ignore the problem threatening to eat away at him for now. He could _definitely_ do that.

“Jack…”

The older man gave a hard look up, raising a brow as they looked at one another. “You want some news or not, cupcake?”

Rhys huffed, trying to calm the quick beating of his heart. He needed to focus on Crius. Not- Not on whatever the hell was going on between them. Not like he was married to the man or bonded or anything… or even _talked_ about anything _serious_ between them of the sort. He wasn’t even his _boyfriend_ for crying out loud, but he wanted-- 

He _wanted._

...What were they even doing?

“Yes, please.” 

Jack patted the cushion next to him, indicating Rhys should sit. Frankly, he figured he’d need to, but if Jack thought anything about the polite distance the omega kept between them, the alpha didn’t comment on it.

“ _So here’s the deets,”_ Jack said as normally as he might have any other time, voice lackadaisical, and Rhys frowned at the quick change in mood. “Your little planet? _Waaaay_ more interesting than I thought, like _wow_ I’m actually a little ashamed of myself--” he dug into his pocket to remove his comm as he spoke, giving him something to fiddle with instead of look at the omega’s somber face, “-- haha nah, not really, you’re so far out there ya gotta make your own scandals, right?- but _wow_ kiddo like this is some amusing stuff here.” He looked up, trying to ignore the forlorn look on the omega’s face as he stuck to business. “Answer this for me first though: Crius is as boring as the Edens from a Hyperion perspective; why need the guns?”

Rhys swallowed, anxiety flaring up from habit over the mention, but there was really nothing for it. “Well we do have game to hunt, and the border towns still have issues with wild animals, but there's not really a huge market for weaponry aside from leisure shooting or hunting… maybe they couldn't design anything themselves after my uncle shut down imports. I don't know why they'd steal yours, Jack.”

“Well obviously because Hyperion firepower is a cut above the rest,” the alpha said with no measure of false pride. “We've got the best grade-A bandit killers around. Can't improve on the best, right? Need to do some killin’, Hyperion is the way to go.”

Rhys made a slight face at that. “Maybe, but Crius is pretty safe because we're so isolated. Crime isn't-- Things are pretty orderly... back there.” Except for whatever the hell was happening right now, he thought with upset.

“Gotcha, that’s what I thought, which brings me to question two: why need _crates and crates_ of Hyperion guns, then?”

Rhys gaped a bit. “What?”

“ _Crates,_ baby. Lots of them in storage. Enough to stage a coup, overthrow a government, _hell,_ have a bandit ho-down at the ordinance they're packing.” He hadn't pulled up the photos and video yet, a little reluctant to show the omega anything of home that might sway him, but he gripped his comm a little tighter.

Rhys thought hard a minute as Jack watched him, never knowing the problem was _that_ huge. He'd thought it was simple design fraud, but this? He wracked his brain: someone on the inside planning to take down their rivals? But no, Atlas was already so big industry-wise that _actually_ crushing the competition in a violent manner didn’t necessitate such measures. 

Planning on selling them in bulk maybe? But there just _wasn’t_ that kind of demand. Atlas was already the leader in industry. A coup then? Who could they be planning to overthrow? Rival companies were small enough that if they _really_ wanted to, a buyout wouldn't be a problem with meticulous planning. “I… There’s nothing to take over. We run just about everything. You said _crates?”_

“Crates and _crates,_ kitten. Stacked high and wide.”

“No, that doesn’t-- we don’t even sell that many to--” Rhys stopped to try and gather his thoughts, doing some quick calculations in his head. “Even keeping up with time for remodeling them for current demand, that’s _decades_ worth of product.” Rhys frowned to himself, pushing aside the still-lingering fear over mentioning Atlas rebranding Hyperion guns. Jack didn’t so much as make a face at the mention. “Even _if_ we pushed for more sales, our top tier goods are shields and housewares. Guns just-- They’d never catch up in profit to everything else. There's just not as much a need than other stuff.”

“Cappuccino machines?” Jack asked with a smirk.

“Cappuccino machines, _espresso_ machines, security systems for home and business, long-range wildlife-deterrent towers, hell, even canned foods for the more remote outposts outsells the _guns_ … _Useful_ stuff.”

Jack snorted, and the omega gave him a little sheepish look realizing how that sounded to the CEO of a major weapons manufacturing company. The alpha just grinned at his judgmental statement. “‘Useful’ stuff… like _not_ -guns,” the older man teased.

“Sorry…” he muttered a little sheepishly. “Just, I don’t know why they’d have so many. We’re already on top.”

“Mm, bet you are. People like you there, babe? I’m sure they do.”

Rhys rolled his eyes at the dirty leer Jack leveled at him, but something inside him relaxed that much more. _This_ felt more normal. The back and forth of innuendo and teasing wordplay. _Safe_ conversation sans feelings. “Yeah, I mean,” he blinked a minute, leaning back into the cushions. “People were pretty loyal to my parents, and there’s lot of excitement for my cybernetics projects. Not from the budget committee but I mean, well, the professional community…” He absentmindedly drummed his cybernetic fingers on the soft material of his pants. “There’s an untapped-market for it, is what I’m saying. News and magazines always sell better when they run exposés on my recent work… Interests are just _different_ there.”

“Maybe they just like reading about the cute Atlas heir, babe.” Rhys frowned, and Jack just offered an unrepentant grin. “Okay, well, so far we have a weapon’s cache bigger than my dick, and some assassination attempts on your gorgeous behind--”

_“Thanks.”_

“-a faked crash to _cover_ for a messed up hit-- which, hey, you and that arm of yours lucked out on that one kiddo- and _my all-time favorite player in this whole thing:_ Alpha-Omega Solutions.”

Rhys sat there, waiting, but he was too impatient for whatever Jack was building to. “So?”

“So what?”

“ _Christ,_ Jack,” Rhys muttered with frustration, turning to better look the older man head on. “So what of it? One of my _employees_ just tried to kill me when the whole planet already thinks I'm _dead_. What is _happening_ there, Jack? None of this makes any damn sense.”

Jack huffed through his nose. “Well, you’ll be happy to know that you’re still being mourned. I’d cry too if that tight little ass was wasted on a crash.”

“ _Jack.”_

“Vasquez Industrial seems to have taken it _really_ personally,” he continued without pause, a teasing smirk in his face. “The head likes you, right? You wanna hear what he had to say about you? Athena was pretty disgusted-- that's my gal on the inside, by the way- but _oh_ you need to hear the things-”

“I _don’t,_ but I don’t think that’s gonna stop you...” Rhys muttered petulantly, only making Jack snort. 

“Oh apparently he was all on about his undying love this, and courting you that, and it's all a cover-up, and _boy_ he’s been dragging that peach of an uncle of yours through the _mud_ since his company was implicated in your murder like _wow_. He makes some of _my_ fans look boring by comparison. I figured you were a popular little thing but holy cow kiddo, this guy probably has sex dolls with your face on ‘em. A room full.”

“Oh god,” Rhys said with embarrassment.

“Rhysie, what does Vasquez Industrial even _do?_ They presumably sent you to me, and my guns to Atlas, so how the hell are they even functioning as a business?”

That pulled Rhys up short. “Wait, _Vasquez_ is the one providing guns to Atlas?”

“Oh, shoot, did I forget to tell you that?”

“That's _kind_ of a big freaking _detail,_ Jack.”

“I've had other stuff on my mind babe, so shoot me. Now what's the gossip on _your_ end? Aside from the screwing up mail orders and sending you into deep space to _me_ instead of the head honcho, what the hell do they actually _do?”_

Rhys’ look soured that Jack expected an answer when he clearly knew more about what was going on than Rhys. Jack filled the silence himself.

“Okay, change of pace: who benefits if you get barbequed, babe?”

The younger man huffed, still trying to process things and figure out how the pieces of this puzzle fit together. “Nice phrasing Jack. Real empathetic.”

“Come off it baby doll. Level with me: this guys hates that uncle of yours, let me tell ya. So why’s he stealing my guns for Atlas’ benefit? Seems he wouldn’t wanna help out the old schoolyard rivals. _Unless_ he thought he was helping _you_ personally.” Jack’s lips quirked; teasing. “Probably wanted to keep you as a pet, am I right? Up go your profits, down go your pants.”

“That's just unnecessary, Jack,” Rhys said in disgust, shaking his head, and shaking off the chill creeping up his spine. The alpha gave him an expectant look, and Rhys rolled his eyes dismissively of _anything_ Vasquez did in the past. Who the hell knew why the creep did anything he did? “His head’s in his ass if he thinks that's what'll happen. He's tried proposing, wants to merge our companies- it's probably just self-serving,” he stuttered sourly, confused as all hell. “They do a lot of different stuff, he probably just likes cash more than he hates my Uncle Solomon. There’s not even a big black market for weapons, but if you’re faking designs at the corporate level, there’s definitely money in it.” 

“So someone with the cash to back it up put in a pretty big order to ol’ Assquez. Maybe Atlas is about to release some ‘new’ designs, baby.”

Rhys sighed with annoyance. “I’ve been publicly pushing the budget towards cybernetics research, _not_ guns. No one on the budget committee would've approved a stipend big enough to pay for an order that size.” Rhys took the opportunity to pay back Jack’s cheap shots, “Unless they're selling your guns _real_ cheap, like discount-rack cheap.”

“Okay, first off, _ouch,_ ” Jack said dramatically, “and second, there's no way with the distance and whatever effort they're putting in that something of _Hyperion_ quality would ever be sold down _cheap._ Which brings us to the next question babe: who's he been selling to inside Atlas? Who's on the take? Any names?”

Rhys shrugged, trying to narrow down what he knew and what he _thought_ he knew. Sadly, the staff on weaponry development he wasn’t too familiar with. “I don't know everyone in weapons development, Jack. But whoever claimed to have designed those guns in the first place is probably the one paying him to get them. The weapons department pays really well if you can do the job right. It’s more competitive to get contracts there than shields or housewares since there’s not as big a demand, but the payoff can be triple.” He huffed. “That's still a _lot_ of money though for crates and _crates.”_

“Okay so there's that,” Jack filed away proper. He was making a mental list of things for Athena to find out, and Rhys was making it easier and easier. He'd have names and addresses by the time Athena got done with things. “Anything else Assquez incorporated does? Blackmail? Tax fraud? Knock-off designer bags?”

Rhys huffed, fingers pinching the material on his legs as he frowned the way Jack's questions jumped back and forth. “I don’t _know,_ Jack. I try to stay _away_ from him. Vasquez has a _lot_ of questionable stuff going on. Doesn't mean I want to know about it.” And not just in the professional, business-sense. Rhys gave a little shudder of disgust at rumors he _still_ hoped weren’t _actually,_ physically true.

“ _Liiiiiike_ …? Come on now babe, don’t hold out on me.”

Rhys sighed with annoyance at what was common knowledge back home that he was utterly uninterested in. “Like local recycling fraud. Taking old cars, air conditioning units,” he gestured as if trying to think of more examples that he actually _knew_ about, “outdated circuitry paneling, _whatever,_ and chucking it in the deeper lakes and pocketing the recycle fee himself.” The unimpressed look for elaboration on Jack’s face made Rhys give an exasperated exhale. “You need to pay to have that stuff properly recycled or the eco-council will get on your ass. Vasquez Industrial charges way less to ‘handle’ it than other licensed businesses. They’ve been caught a few times.” Jack still looked utterly unimpressed, and Rhys rolled his eyes. “I told you it was a lot of _different_ stuff. Never said it was _exciting.”_

“It's dumb.”

“Yeah, well, the cash is good for something so easy, if you can get away with it. Those fees can be expensive, especially for the border towns. Make a lot of money just doing _that_ with the turnaround we have on newer, more advanced tech upgrades. It’s dumb, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that alone is their bread and butter.” He rolled his eyes. “ _Otherwise_ they have cheap, tacky versions of a lot of our goods which no self-respecting Crian would use when Atlas products are available,” Rhys said haughtily with a sniff of indignation.

Jack’s grin was wide in serious amusement, resettling himself with a little lick of arousal at the arrogant confidence of the younger man. “Nice ego, kiddo. _Now_ you sound like a CEO.” Rhys blushed a little at that, frowning, and it only made Jack grin wider. “So they're below your notice, except when shipping you to me.” Rhys snorted dismissively, and Jack changed the subject. “Why haven’t you taken over the company yet, baby? Proper?”

The change in topics surprised him, and also made him immediately defensive. “I’ve… I’ve been busy.”

“Yeah?”

 _“Yes,_ I have. And, our board of directors has been handling things pretty well in conjunction with my uncle. I… I don't need to shake anything up while we’re doing well. We’re on the right path.” He felt like he was being defensive, but it was a question the board of trustees put to him often enough that he'd drilled in his own little excuses. He just… wasn't ready. Even if he could use the power to get all the budget he wanted for his work, he'd never forgive himself if that caused the company his family built to fold. “I want to focus more time for my cybernetics research instead of paperwork. Things are doing just fine without me in the driver’s seat.”

Jack wondered just how well they were doing if someone was actively trying to get Rhys out of the way. “Sweetheart, that’s what a board of directors is _for._ At the end of the day, you wanna let off some steam and vent a few dozen morons? And the board tells you ‘it’s a waste of resources!’ and, ‘but Handsome Jack, they have _families’_ ,” he finished sarcastically and high-pitched with a snort of mockery, “that’s _your_ call, babe. You’re the top. So why not? You scared?”

“No, I’m not _scared,”_ Rhys said quickly, _maybe_ a little intimidated to officially fill the shoes his mother left, but not _scared._ “I’m just… I want to focus on _creating,_ less on… less on stock meetings and budget approvals and everyone sucking up to me to get what _they_ want, not what's good for the company.” He frowned to himself as Jack seemed to chew on that a bit. “I want people to compliment my designs and work because they actually approve, not because they’re trying to earn favor… When the board approves something, I know it's because it's actually _good_ ; not just ‘cause of the family name.”

“Oh _Rhysie,”_ Jack said with a bemused smile. The omega wanting _validation…_ geez that was way too embarrassing to admit aloud and there he’d just come out and _said_ it. Jack wanted to hug and squeeze him until sweetness and sugar came out. “Damn, you really are a little sweetheart, you know that? You are way too adorable. I bet half of Crius is in love with you buttercup. I’d bet old Buttstallion on it.”

“Shove it, Jack.”

“I will later, you cute little thing.”

“I still have those shivs in my arm.”

“Are you _trying_ to get me hard?”

Rhys rolled his eyes at the way Jack waggled his brows. The CEO scooted over just enough to place a hand on Rhys’ thigh, and the younger man crossed his arms over his chest to level a completely disinterested look at the CEO. It only made Jack snicker and pat his thigh.”

“Okay baby, so me _and_ this Assquez got a total hardon for you. Now let's get back to the major question here: _who_ benefits from your barbeque? Think about it, babe.”

“God you need a serious lesson in tact…” Rhys muttered to himself as Jack scooted even closer to properly wrap his arm around the younger man. 

Jack gave his shoulder a squeeze, still smirking but knowing things were about to come to a nasty head the younger man wasn’t going to like. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it yet, but then he only knew a little bit of Rhys’ family life. It should've been obvious to the younger man. “Come on sweetheart. Connect the dots: who takes over when you take a dirt nap?”

“Well the board of directors already oversees things, but if something _did_ happen to me, then--” Rhys pulled up short, looking at Jack for reassurance as he seemed to realize a few things he _really_ didn’t want to accept, but was clear Jack already knew. “ _Jack_ …”

“Before you told me what a total _prize_ your uncle was, I had my doubts, but it’s pretty clear, right babe?”

Rhys shook his head in denial. “No Jack, that doesn’t-- He _wouldn’t-_ -”

“Oh I think he _would_ , buttercup. He’s running the show right _now_ while you’re gone, and he’s been doing it since you were just a lick of a thing, hasn’t he?” Rhys was growing paler, clearly unable to accept it; something the alpha had trouble understanding.

“No that… There must be a misunderstanding, Jack. I mean, we’ve had some crazy ups and downs, but-- Show me the reports that say that.”

“Baby, I don’t have ‘reports’. Just some sleuth-work from my number one girl--”

“Jack _please_ ,” Rhys asked, brain firing off all the ways things might have been misconstrued; if Jack misinterpreted anything, or if mistakes were made. He wasn’t _from_ Crius; there was chance for things to be lost in translation. “Whatever you have, just show me.”

The older man quickly typed about on his comm, bringing up one of the older info packets Athena had sent, and finding the video she’d taken of ill-gotten grade-A Hyperion weaponry. Good place to start, and nothing that would give away his personal request for information on _Rhys._

Rhys leaned close while Jack held the device, the older man scenting him as Rhys’ fingers dug into Jack’s leg in anxiety as crates and blue paint were in frame. He made little sounds as it played, and Jack frowned at the footage for a second time, remembering how furious he’d been on first viewing, and how close he’d been to destroying _everything_ before Rhys’ little heat message interrupted it all.

He was grateful things had played out as they had instead.

“Rhysie, you’re looking at crates and crates of Hyperion pistols, SMGs, shotguns, you name it,” Jack told him as he spoke over Athena, giving the younger man a reassuring squeeze. “Way more than your piddly little planet could _ever_ need, right? A friggin’ warehouse full.”

“I don't get how this-- Wait, play it back.”

“What? The part where she sasses me?” 

Rhys rolled his eyes at the alpha. “Just play it, Jack.” The older man rolled back the footage, and Rhys’ stomach dropped as his expression went slack.

“Rhysie? Hey sugar, share with the class: what’s wrong?”

“That’s not a warehouse. That’s in the Atlas private hangar.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “No _duh,_ cupcake. Your brain overload? I _told_ you Athena found those at Atlas.”

Rhys gave him a light smack with the back of his hand as he stared at the screen. “ _No._ That’s my uncle’s-- _my_ hangar. Like, the family one that I don't-- don't-- The _private_ one, not… not the company…. Jack?”

Jack just whistled low. “Well that makes everything nice and neat, don’t it sugar?” The alpha stretched before re-slinging his arm around the younger man. “I don’t even _need_ to have it checked out now. Pretty clear, _nice_ and _neat_.” He teased the T on his tongue with a satisfied smile. Rhys gave him a wide-eyed look like Jack was crazy. 

“How in the _hell_ does that make it _neat_? This is-- It _can't--”_

“This is a deep-dish shit-pie and your uncle has his fingers in it, baby. Pretty clear if you ask me.”

“That’s _disgusting_ ,” Rhys said in reaction before brushing it off. “But… This doesn’t make any sense. I mean, why would he--”

“You said you were kidnapped from bed, right?”

“Yeah. As far as _I_ know,” Rhys told Jack with quickly-mounting anxiety, scared where this was leading and not wanting to face it. 

“And your uncle used to live at your place, right? If you're gone, he gets control of _everything,_ doesn't he babe?”

Rhys could feel his heartbeat speeding up, getting slightly dizzy, desperately wanting it not to be true, but everything was too perfect; made too much sense. “But he… he already _controls--”_

“Does he have the cash for a big ol’ black market weapons shipment? And do those dogs of yours know him?” Jack continued to press, connecting more and more that the omega didn’t want to hear. “Aside from biting his ass from that time you told me,” Jack laughed in genuine amusement to himself as Rhys grew so much more pale. 

Rhys put his head between his knees, hands over the back as if he could somehow shield his very thoughts. “I think I’m gonna be sick…”

“Easy there.” Jack dropped his amusement as he sat up straight, big palm on the younger man’s back to rub tight circles, all teasing gone from his voice. “Deep breaths, sweetheart. You’re okay.”

Rhys stared at his shoes over the soft carpet. His vision was spinning. “Jack, it can’t-- it has to be a mistake. Or an elaborate, over the top set-up, or--”

“Or your uncle’s trying to get rid of you, sweetheart, and our little would-be assassin in cargo was on board with the idea. Sometimes things are _real_ simple. Family, am I right?” The alpha huffed, the hand rubbing Rhys’ back moving to encompass the younger man’s side to half hug him as it appeared the omega was having a serious breakdown. “Breathe, baby, _breathe._ We’ll get to the bottom of things, Rhys. I promised I'd help with that, right? We'll take care of this. You just breathe nice and easy for me, honey.”

“...I never thought he hated me enough for _that_ …” Rhys murmured from between his own legs, not really listening to Jack as his brain made numerous connections to bad memories, lectures, _glares_ over the years. “Resentment, but--”

“Don’t waste thinking about him, babe.” 

It made a simmering rage boil in Jack’s gut to hear the omega so lost and dejected; to smell the way his scent went all bleak as he was overwhelmed at the news. Jack pressed a firm kiss to the back of Rhys’ neck as he held him, brain undecided on the best way to kill a man on the other side of the galaxy. 

“Rhysie, sweetheart, honeypie, you’re _perfect_ ,” Jack spoke in a deep growl, still scenting the back of his neck and squeezing his side. “You’re the cutest little thing this side of kittens and bunnies, babe.” Rhys gave a sort of hysterical snort, and Jack smiled against his skin, trying his best to comfort. “He’s probably jealous you got all the good looks in the family and all he’s got is a goatee to cover the fact.” Jack pressed another kiss to his skin as the younger man stayed bent over, heart rate skyrocketing. “We’ll take care of this baby, okay? Totally get to the very bottom of it. Make it all right, buttercup. Promise.”

Rhys took up the hand slung across his middle, squeezing it and grateful when Jack squeezed back. He took a deep breath before slowly sitting up, paler, eyes a little watery at the betrayal as he looked at Jack, and confused above all _why_ this was happening. “Can… Can…”

Jack moved to better hold him, studying the younger man's face as it was clear Rhys couldn't handle this. “What baby? What do you need? Just name it, I’ll make it happen.”

“...can I have a hug?” Rhys asked with total lack of embarrassment over his pathetic tone. He didn’t have time to ruminate on the sound that was his voice as Jack was pulling him into his lap and wrapping arms around him, tucking the omega’s face in his neck and kissing over his t-shirt with absolutely zero teasing.

“You just let me handle things, babe. I’ve got you, okay? Let Jack make it all better,” the CEO cooed, making lemonade out of lemons and hoping this was his ticket to keeping the younger man: a cluster fuck so huge Rhys couldn't even find his way out of a paper bag. _Not_ that he liked seeing his omega in pain, of course, but he could work with this. It gave the older man more time, and he'd get to do a little killing as well to make him happy. Win win. “I'll fix this sweetheart, just let me fix this for ya.”

Rhys sniffled as he held onto the older man. He wanted to. God he wanted to leave everything to Jack. This was the world the alpha was used to; it was _his_ forte, not Rhys’. All he wanted was to climb into bed with the older man and never come out. 

The only family he had left, and his uncle wanted the company, and him _dead._ Where the hell any of this was coming from, he had no idea.

A whimper he wasn’t proud of escaped him, and Jack just hugged him tighter and kissed him, stroking his hair until Rhys better relaxed against him. It was a long-time coming, but Rhys eventually smiled up as he just laid against the older man, letting Jack hug him and whisper things about bird houses and people with official-looking badges and rubber gloves, and how he should _never_ trust anyone trying to get him to do something ‘in the name of science’.

Jack’s cringeworthy stories didn't fix anything, but the younger man felt the tiniest bit better listening to Jack’s level tones.

\--

Rhys was emotionally drained the next day, laying in the sheets while Jack was in the shower. 

He’d convinced himself he’d had one hell of a nightmare for about five seconds until he was properly awake, and then there was no getting back to sleep. His eyes hurt, and he needed more rest-- especially after how hard Jack had fucked him last night by his own request- but there was _no_ way he was getting anymore sleep today. His brain was wired and on full alert, even if it couldn't fix the absolute clusterfuck his life had become.

He snuffled around in the sheets that smelled like him and Jack, the comfort the alpha’s scent brought was a balm to frayed nerves. Jack would know where to start. He'd promised to help, and Rhys was confident he wouldn't let anything happen to him. Jack could point him in the right direction to start, help with any clear and present danger, but the ending point was still Crius.

...he'd need to bag and tag some of Jack’s clothes for when he went back home, _never_ wanting to forget the way the older man smelled. Hell, if he told the alpha, Jack would probably be agreeable to the idea. He'd need the man's scent just to function so far away from him.

“Hey sugarpie,” Jack said as he came up from behind without Rhys’ notice. 

The younger man turned over to face him, receptive to the nuzzling Jack gave him. He smelled fresh and warm, clean and inviting, and Rhys inclined his head for more kisses pressed to his skin. 

“I _have_ to go into the office today pumpkin, no more putting it off,” Jack spoke against inked flesh, hand caressing Rhys’ bicep as the pretty omega laid out below him, “but you can stay home if you want--”

“No,” Rhys instantly decided, wrapping arms around Jack’s neck to bring the alpha in for a hug. Jack’s smile could be felt against his skin as the older man held him back. “I want to go with.”

“You got it sugarplum.” The CEO pressed a kiss against his temple before giving him a squeeze and standing back up. “Have that cute ass ready in an hour. I've got the coffee on, and I'll make you some toast and jam. How's that sound, Rhysie? You want strawberry or blueberry?”

Rhys smiled to himself. Jack was trying to be nice this morning. He wondered if he'd heard him cry in his sleep, because he definitely woke up once in tears, and his eyes still stung, and the look on the older man's face was clear concern. 

Jack understood that he was upset, and in his way, he was trying to help. Rhys couldn't handle Jack being so considerate when things were so shit. “No grape?”

“No but I-- _oh_ you little shit,” Jack said as he realized the cause of the sudden mirth on the younger man's face. 

Rhys was certain swift retribution was on its way as Jack sat down on the bed to pull him by the legs to be half in the alpha's lap. He waited to be turned over with a smirk-- anticipating the impending smack as he was pretty sure he was about to be spanked- but Jack just bent to kiss the ever-loving daylights out of him before working a hand over his cock.

Rhys moaned into his mouth with confusion, puzzled by the older man's behavior but totally down with it, and Jack almost grinned at how quickly the younger man got hard. He focused nips and kisses on the points of Rhys’ throat and shoulder where the omega was extra sensitive, not stopping until Rhys was begging for more, thrusting into the hand Jack had flying over his cock.

Then Jack got up from the bed, chuckling a little huskily at how Rhys looked up at him in aroused confusion, and snorted when the younger man asked why the _hell_ he stopped.

“I would've spanked you but you're already gonna be walking bow-legged today, so _that's_ your punishment. And you're downgraded to plain toast, you little shit.”

Rhys huffed as his heart still beat hard in his chest, body flushed and cock red and leaking with arousal. He frowned, saying something to the effect of punishment not fitting the crime-- having been _so_ close- and Jack, jackass that he was, only laughed again.

“Hey, I'm not _that_ bad baby. I'll stand here while you finish _yourself_ off, hm?”

The idea made Rhys’ stomach go all funny, never having jerked off for a partner before, and the intense way Jack watched him (and the way the older man’s towel was slightly tented) made him consider it. But in the end he chickened out with a pout and covered himself with a sheet while Jack left and cackled all the way to the kitchen.

\--

He wasn’t sure how smart of an idea it had been to sit in Jack’s office while the alpha ruled from his huge yellow chair. Jack was anger and zero mercy and holding all departments accountable for things _still_ not completed-- or worse, completed _wrong_ \- with the extra week they’d been given thanks to Rhys’ heat. The few who'd done their work well had been given bonuses and accolades, but those that became lazy… Well, Rhys was no stranger to the way Jack did business.

Rhys almost felt bad about the week the alpha had taken off to care for him, except the CEO genuinely seemed to enjoy tearing his employees new ones for being incompetent. He’d already seen three department heads burst into tears, one turned as red as the shirt he was wearing, and sweat through the entire back, and another was dropped due to gross negligence into a spot in the floor that Rhys wasn’t going to walk over anymore.

That so much could go wrong in one _week_ really brought it home to Rhys that Jack _couldn’t_ leave Helios for Crius. There was no second in command here, not like the board of directors back home, and Jack seemed to thrive where others might falter or sway. The older man genuinely took an interest in the goings-on of his company, and it was probably why Hyperion was half as successful as it was. 

A good trait to have, but shit for their-- well, they weren’t in a _relationship,_ right? They hadn’t had The Talk yet, but Rhys knew they were going to have to at some point. 

Maybe it would be easier if they _didn’t._

If this… _relationship_ or whatever was never properly acknowledged, Rhys knew he'd feel jilted about the whole damn experience. _Nothing_ would be certain, and to him it would mean everything he'd thought was real between them was just a _really_ good time for the older man, and that he'd been tricked into having _feelings_ due to hormones and loneliness and the complications of a shared heat. 

The thought alone that they wouldn't eventually have The Talk pissed him off enough he knew the anger and resentment would help his heartbreak considerably when he went back to Crius. 

If they _did_ reach that kind of point though… Rhys didn't have anything prepared for that yet, and any and all scenarios were going to be painful.

He made faces from the couch in Jack’s office as the older man grinned at his desk, the last crying personnel having left an hour previous. Echoey screams and _new_ crying kept making their way over to Rhys as Jack watched something on his screen. Was this a better distraction than staying in Jack’s penthouse all day alone with his thoughts? Rhys was torn at the moment.

“Jack, what in the _hell_ are you watching?”

The alpha perked up. “You wanna watch too babycakes?” The omega made a face, and Jack just leaned back with a smirk. “Oh, just the extraction of some information from our little courier to the late Atlas assassin. People will tell you _everything_ when there’s nine more fingers to break.”

Rhys’ mouth turned into a thin line of horror and disgust as the alpha still grinned into his screen with satisfaction. 

“Boy, Rhysie, you are _popular_ let me tell ya. This pea-brain doesn’t have much on our little blonde thing, _yet_ ,” he added with an anticipatory grin, “but _hoooo_ babe, this Hugo Vasquez _really_ has a hardon for you like I’m a little impressed at the lengths he’s going to try and bring you home.” Jack snickered to himself as Rhys blanched in surprise.

“He’s _what?”_

“Yeah, this guy?” Jack turned the screen, image paused on the blubbering face of the courier he’d seen the day before, “Turns out this Vasquez is his cousin by marriage or some shit. I don’t know, his IQ is definitely in the lower percentiles, but he is _adamant_ he bring you back in one piece, unharmed, to the boss man himself. Guess Alpha-Omega Solutions _is_ one of his little side businesses, no doubt about that now.” Jack snickered to himself, shaking his head a little in admiration. “Gotta say though, that is _some_ single minded loyalty there to do his job. Even if he’s spilling the beans. I’m a little impressed.” He might even have the man’s fingers set properly after he was done breaking the other nine.

“ _Vasquez_ is trying to bring me back?” Rhys said incredulously. His tone got a little smirk from the alpha, and Rhys gave him a look over it; just because he didn’t want to go back via _Vasquez_ did not mean he wasn’t going back at all. It was just… _perturbing._

“Since that transport ship with your old arm went down, apparently,” Jack said with a grin. “Bet you were going to be the perfect little _solution_ to that alpha’s problems, hm?” Rhys gave him a sour look, but Jack just happily continued on. “Wow this guy is full of gossip. You wanna hear it from the horse’s mouth? Might be good practice when you're a big boy CEO.”

“Absolutely _not.”_

Jack put both hands behind his head, still grinning maniacally at the screen. “It’s kind of sweet, right? That ship going down was _not_ in the plans. Not in _his,_ anyways. I’d bet money that your uncle is the one who got a hold of your old arm, too.” His attention went back to the omega. “You were going to be a spoiled little mob pet for sure. Think he knew from the photos that that wasn’t the arm you have right now? That’s kind of sweet of old Assquez aint it? Eye for detail. I like it.”

“I _really_ don’t want to think about that, Jack.” The older man chuckled and Rhys put his flesh arm over his eyes. What an absolute clusterfuck. “Jack, the- the omega yesterday. I know where I’ve met her.”

“Yeah?” the older man’s voice came across to him.

“Her hair was longer, and the wrong color, that’s why it took me a minute, but she works for marketing and public relations…” he said regrettably. “She set up the photo shoot after my arm was permanently mounted and healed. It got cybernetics the funding I wanted.”

“That’s fun to know.”

Rhys jumped at the closeness of Jack’s voice, not realizing the alpha had moved. Jack chuckled before he was threading fingers through the younger man’s hair as Rhys gave him a little look for being startled, but forgave him for the petting.

“She did _not_ want you going back, babe. As far as assassination attempts go, that was pretty desperate. You _did_ call her bluff though.”

“Mm.”

“Probably would’ve stuck a knife in me if you didn’t, so, thanks for being cute.” Rhys snorted. “I bet they don’t know how nice and pretty you’re sitting here with the king,” Jack said with a smirk. “No cool robot parts, no chance, am I right?”

Rhys snorted again as Jack’s hand trailed over his shoulder and down his cybernetic arm to entwine their fingers. He gave the older man a warning smirk. “It’s not an accident those pieces come _out,_ Jack.”

“My kitten’s got claws,” Jack said with a laugh, taking up the hand and kissing the chrome exterior. Rhys gave the man a little smile for the treatment, and Jack changed the subject back to matters at hand. “Mister brainiac says a nice Atlas man told him to uncrate her when they got here instead of leaving the box. Atlas is crawling with rats, babe.”

Rhys’ face fell. “You think Uncle Solomon sent her?”

“I think your people don’t know shit about properly killing someone with their own two hands, sweetheart.” Jack gave a snort. “Hey, that means you’re a successful CEO now babe! We are _definitely_ having champagne, no arguments. You want to get a bottle with lunch?”

Rhys offered a slight smile, choosing to ignore the change of topics for now and roll with Jack’s good humor. Lord knows he needed it. “Depends what we’re having for lunch.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Jack dismissed. “Champagne is _super_ classy. It goes with everything. What are you in the mood for?”

He wasn’t particularly hungry, honestly. Everything left a bad taste in his mouth and his appetite was sapped. It wasn't just one to two people apparently. Things were _happening_ in Atlas, and he had no idea how far the problems had spread. He didn’t know how Jack could take these things with little more than a shrug. He pulled the CEO towards him. “Gimme a kiss.”

Jack’s grin turned wide and toothy with pleasure as he moved to kneel on the couch, taking the younger man’s pinkening cheeks in his hands. “Champagne goes _great_ with a side of Jack,” the alpha said, actually getting a chuckle out of the younger man as their lips met. “Mm, you have the best taste, princess. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“This coming from a man that has a diamond horse in his entryway.”

“Pfft, _yeah,”_ the older man agreed, “ _obviously_. And look who _ordered_ it.” He pressed a kiss to Rhys’ cheek as the omega grinned, turning away from the misplaced affection Jack enthusiastically showed him. “ _Excellent_ taste, Rhysie. I'd expect nothing less.”

\--

The thoughts of Rhys returning to Crius began to eat at Jack. 

Their prisoner wasn’t giving anything new that would help piece things together after two days, and Athena hadn’t sent him a package in days now. What if things _were_ as bad as it all seemed for the omega? He wasn't worried about Athena, but if she was having issues getting him information, then it meant _things_ were happening.

In the grand scheme of things, this was like, regularly-scheduled one-uppery for Hyperion and Helios. It was rare for anyone to actually try to assassinate _Jack_ nowadays, which could be boring if not for the fact his employees were always playing the game of who could get ahead by any means necessary. _That_ was fun to watch at least, but Rhys was convinced his company was going to hell in a handbasket and that only the omega himself could stop it.

Jack gave himself an amused little snort. Who did Rhys think he was, _Jack_? No wonder the alpha liked him so much. Jack saw a lot of himself in Rhys-- _heh_ , and often when he got his way- but the pretty lithe omega still didn’t seem to understand that a few moonshots and some remote governing from the comfort of home could solve _all_ his problems. Not like he couldn’t _rebuild_ Atlas if Jack literally leveled the playing field.

Rhys wouldn’t like that, though. What _was_ it about Crius that made him so adamant to return? Jack didn’t give a shit about his birth planet. Was it an omega thing maybe? Or just a Rhys thing? Surely he’d rather just stay with his alpha-- not that Jack had necessarily _declared_ himself to the omega. It went without saying that he was Rhys’ alpha, though. All of Helios knew it. The attempts to insert someone into his bed had more or less stopped. Oh, the shameless flirting was still there, but he was _Handsome Jack_. Who _wouldn’t_ flirt with the CEO?

...but what if Rhys _didn’t_ want to stay with Jack? Yeah he said he didn’t want to leave, but Jack was less and less convinced with the single-mindedness that Rhys worried over Atlas. The older man was banking on the idea of being able to convince him to stay through a campaign of amazing sex and gifts; enough to distract him from his problems. Step one had been underway for a long time now, but step two needed work.

Jack wanted to get Rhys something-- didn’t matter what- but just something the younger man would _like._ Something expensive. Pretty like he was. _Shiny._

Did Rhys like jewelry? Maybe jewelry. Something he’d look at and think of Jack. 

Not- not a _ring-_ \- talk about too nail-on-head- but _something_ nice. Keep Jack in his thoughts, cement himself further to Helios and the alpha himself. Remind the omega how dirty filthy _rich_ Jack was; that he didn’t even _need_ Atlas.

Would he even _like_ jewelry? Jack looked at him where the younger man sat cleaning his nails after work; an easy task when your other hand was advanced alloys.

He had some golden cufflinks in. Would he like more? Did he _like_ gold? Well, who didn’t? But what did he _prefer_? Maybe he _would_ like some jewelry? A nice big necklace would be a start. Jack never saw him with any, but that didn’t mean it had to stay that way. Of course, the way Rhys had arrived to Helios hadn’t exactly been fully packed to go. But Jack gave him a hell of a stipend for being there; Rhys could have bought himself any number of shiny things. 

Rhys blew once on the nails of his left hand, eyes darting up to the tv as they sat there together before refocusing on his task.

Jack sure didn’t know a lot about the younger man, and that was a double-headed problem. If he learned more, he was bound to become more attached, do something _stupid,_ and if he was, _then_ it would be harder to forget him if Rhys _did_ decide to leave and never come back. 

Just _keeping_ him regardless had occurred to Jack more than a few times, but he wasn’t sure he could handle going back to being shunned by the younger man if he did. Rhys unhappy, or come to hate his touches… Yeah, he couldn’t think about such a possibility without getting frustrated and angry.

Screw it, he’d find out as much as he could so these questions wouldn’t drive him nuts when and if the omega eventually left him.

“We need to get you some jewelry.”

“Huh?” Rhys looked up from what he was doing, a half-amused smile of confusion on his face as if maybe he hadn’t heard Jack right.

“Jewelry. It’s something that’s missing from all-” he gestured at the younger man’s nice work ensemble in explanation, _“this._ A little pick me up from the shit hitting the fan. What’s your birthstone, kiddo?” Jack asked slyly, waiting for what would surely be his actual birthday followed by the stone itself. Score one for Jack.

“I don’t actually like my birthstone,” Rhys responded instead, smirking at the offer. “But I _do_ like platinum, if you wanted.”

A pleased thrill went up Jack’s spine at the way the younger man didn’t balk when saying something nice and _expensive_ he liked. The confidence there, that Jack would get him something nice-- no humble acceptance of something he didn’t actually _want-_ gave the older man a half-chub. The omega knew his alpha could provide whatever he wanted without question, and that was a hell of a turn on.

He was going to get him a platinum cockring first thing he did. 

“Oh Rhysie, we are going to make you _drip_ with platinum,” Jack agreed with a grin. The younger man snorted, putting down the nail file as he watched the alpha. Rhys hadn’t given him even the name of a month to look out for, and it left Jack in kind of a corner. “That’s _way_ better than a crummy old rock for a birth month… _which_ would be…?”

Rhys perked up a little bit in sudden realization at the perfect timing. “Oh, actually my birthday is next month,” he said with pleasure. “I can’t believe-- Things have been so crazy…”

Next month? What was next month’s birthstone? 

What was _this_ month’s birthstone? Crap he’d have to look it up. Eh, didn’t matter anyways. _Platinum_ was where it was at. “Like, how long away?” Jack asked with what he _thought_ was nonchalance. “The beginning or end of the month?”

Rhys’ lips came together in trying to hide sudden amusement. “Jack, are you trying to ask when my birthday is?”

“Hey, just checking if I can get some quality gifts in from the Edens in time or not is all,” he quickly brushed off like he didn’t care. “I still wanna get some nice rugs to do you on. How’s that sound for a birthday treat?”

Rhys just nodded, a knowing smirk on his lips. It was way too sweet. Jack was _embarrassed_ to ask when his birthday was. A little intimate detail that wasn’t important in any way shape or form to _anything_ happening right now, but the alpha wanted to know. 

Rhys didn’t labor under any illusions that Jack would need an _occasion_ to give him something that went with his outfit, and the too-casual way Jack chatted on about quality Eden goods made him smirk. Just like the stun baton, if he wanted to give a gift, he just did it. Knowing his birthday in order to buy him some nice jewelry was completely unnecessary and totally intimate to getting to know a person. 

It thrilled Rhys to hell.

“Sounds good to me, if they can come in quickly,” he said as Jack listed off materials and colors. He didn’t address the elephant in the room: that he didn’t plan on being on Helios until then. Maybe he _could_ … but he needed to start cleaning house.

He started cleaning his nails again instead, watching the alpha out of his peripheral and trying not to smile at the way the older man definitely pouted at what should have been acceptable information. The alpha hadn’t gotten what he _really_ wanted, and Rhys wasn’t going to offer it up just for the entertainment value of watching the powerful man flounder. It was a rare feeling for the CEO; he’d let him taste it a while.

 _Rhys_ knew when _Jack’s_ birthday was-- months and months away, thank you echonet. But he was going to ride this until the alpha’s stubbornness wore off and Jack just outright _asked_ him. It would be another good distraction, at least.

A platinum cockring with a latch and matching cufflinks was delivered the next day with a note that said ‘Happy Birthday Peachpit’. Rhys only laughed when Jack told him to try it on, and let the older man press him into the mattress with kisses.

It was the most welcome distraction Rhys could have asked for.

\--

“And why didn’t you tell me about this in the _first_ place, Jack? I thought it was still taking _days_ just for transfer.”

Rhys was inspecting the blues of the virtual map on Jack’s desk of all neighboring planets and moons-- some controlled by Hyperion, others not- the brilliant little white dots indicating the presence of relay towers and satellites and ships in a clear line from Helios all the way to Crius. The line wasn’t complete yet, but it was getting there. That something of this undertaking could be completed so fast was really impressive.

What was _truly_ impressive though was that the asshole leaned back in his chair with a self-important grin hadn’t thought to even tell him he’d started _building_ it, let alone that it was almost complete. Would Rhys be able to call home direct? The possibilities this brought to the table only further frustrated him with the alpha next to him.

“I was busy with other stuff. Like screwing you through my nice big mattress,” the alpha excused with an unrepentant grin. “You were heat crazy babe, and my engineers can only work so fast. We've been busy bangin’, yeah?”

His statement got a roll of the eyes as Rhys could identify very few of the heavenly bodies he was looking at. Crius was… god it was far from the space station hovering Pandora. Rhys felt something in his chest clench at the distance. He’d understood it before, but _seeing_ it was another thing entirely. If he went back, it would be-- it was _far._ No guarantee he’d see Jack again. Atlas had resources, but to make _this_ trip a few times-- and even at the bare minimum he was figuring in his head- the cost alone would bankrupt Atlas in six, maybe seven trips.

He sat down in Jack’s lap like it was his own personally reserved seat, the older man making an ‘oof’ of surprise before wrapping both arms greedily about the younger man and rubbing his face in his back with a grin. Rhys ignored him as he perched there.

“It would’ve been helpful to know I could have asked about some things _directly_. You know how much this--” He stopped a moment to take a breath and clear his head of intrusive thoughts about his family. “There’s things I might’ve liked to _know,_ Jack. Little… Little things.”

“You still can, babe,” Jack’s muffled voice came from behind. Rhys sat back even further, forcing the older man to straighten and rest that stupidly-grinning mug on the younger man’s shoulder. “I mean, not _direct._ Stuff is still being built, and there's always going to be cosmic interference since it's so far, but Athena’s drops are coming sooner and sooner. No more three-day delays, aside from time to complete her objectives and stuff. How’s that for efficient, babe?” Jack nibbled his ear, a big hand flat on his thigh. “See pumpkin? We can handle everything remotely, right from my nice big chair.”

Rhys huffed but chose not to comment on that, not wanting to start another argument as he leaned back into the older man. “I can ask her to look into some things for me? Like, from myself?”

“Oh you _bet,_ ” Jack all but purred. “I told you to write some stuff down, so make a list. She’s slippery as hell. The friggin’ best. I’m naming the next space station after her. Or giving her her own planet. Haven’t decided yet.” Rhys only snorted, and Jack nipped at his neck, the hand on Rhys’ thigh moving more inwards. “What? _You_ want a planet babe? Pick one out, I’ll have your name written on it.”

“Stop,” Rhys said with a smile, a retort about _having_ a planet already dying on his lips as Jack pressed kisses too-near his bonding site. “Can she… There’s a few people I’d like her to check on… I don’t know how much of all _this_ I can believe,” Rhys mentioned of the echo tablets strewn about Jack’s messy desk. Copies of news and articles surrounding the tragedy of Rhys’ death were everywhere; how Atlas itself was urging the citizenry to remain _calm_ but alert amidst tragedy. “It’ll… It’ll be a good indicator of… of… Oh _right there,_ ” Rhys sighed out as Jack was sucking a mark to the junction of his shoulder and neck, the alpha’s big hand cupping the omega’s crotch.

“You in the mood for a little stress relief there, babe? I’m _very_ good at it, ya know?” he said gruffly into the younger man’s ear as he kneaded at the omega’s package.

“ _Oh_ hell _yes_ …” Rhys sighed out. He reached a hand up and behind himself to grip the back of Jack’s head as his hips chased the friction the older man was giving him. This was exactly the kind of distraction he needed right now. He couldn’t think straight with all the betrayals and planning and damage control for his home planet _let alone_ sort out any feelings he might have for the older man. 

He _could_ surrender himself to Jack’s hands for a while though. That, without a doubt, he could do.

Jack chuckled against him, using his teeth now and making sharp little gasps of pleasure come from the younger man. Rhys was bracing himself against the arm rests to try and get more friction with his hips. “Undo your pants for me, sweetheart,” Jack growled. Rhys was quick to undo his belt and unzip his pants as Jack kissed up and down his neck. The alpha batted his hands away to get one of his own down the front as Rhys whimpered. “That’s right honeypie, you just focus on _this_ ,” he said with a pass of his thumb down the omega’s length. 

“I-I can do that,” Rhys chuckled as he turned his head enough for Jack to capture his lips. He moaned into the kiss as Jack gave him a few more strokes. He let Rhys grind against his hand, working himself to full hardness before Jack pulled him out to stroke him proper.

“Your dick is so pretty, babe, you know that?”

“Yeah…” Rhys gasped out with a slight snicker as Jack chuckled behind him.

“Humble too.” He kissed below Rhys’ ear. “You’re my perfect little peach, Rhysie.”

“ _Right there_ , again--” he gasped as Jack’s thumb circled around his cockhead, smearing precome while Rhys squirmed against him.

“Spread your legs more for me,” Jack said in husky tones as he greedily watched what he was doing. He was ingratiated as the younger man spread them enough for Jack to dive his hand back into those taut pants and palm Rhys’ balls. He could feel some slickness beginning to gather beneath, and he made a dirty noise of appreciation as he licked a line from Rhys’ neck to his jawline as he toyed with the younger man.

Rhys could feel Jack hard beneath him, grinding against his ass as he touched him, and it made the omega a little drunk with lust. Here he was-- just an omega from faraway Crius- sitting in Jack’s big chair, _on_ the man who controlled the biggest damn empire in the history of the universe, and _he’d_ made him hard and straining against his pants. 

He could hear the way Jack’s breaths quickened upon hearing Rhys’ own gasps of pleasure, or the way the older man’s hips rose up with Rhys’ own. It was shocking and always so exciting that such a powerful, _perfect_ alpha wanted him so bad.

Jack pinched at his nipples over his shirt, smirking at the way Rhys’ heartbeat thrummed in his neck or against his ribs. Rhys’ balls had gone taut against his body as Jack’s hand worked him over, and the older man was straining against his own pants in pleasuring the pretty omega in his lap. Rhys was close. “I’m gonna make you ruin these nice pants, sweetheart.” Instead of argument, Rhys only groaned. “What do you say to that?”

“ _Keep talking_ ,” Rhys gasped out desperately as he thrust his hips into the older man’s hand, cybernetic hand gripping the chair’s armrest so hard he was minorly concerned he might shatter it.

Jack’s husky chuckles made Rhys’ body shudder in his lap. “Yeah, you like the sound of my voice, dontcha sweetheart?” The alpha knew he was close. He knew all the signs now, but damn, talk about ego-patting. He was pretty sure he could remove his hands from the younger man completely and _talk_ him through his orgasm.

What fun was that though?

“I bet I know what _you’d_ like, kitten,” Jack said as his hand slid over the velvety skin of Rhys’ cock, slippery with slick and precome spread both. “I’ve still got those reports in an hour… What if we called ‘em in here early huh?” 

Rhys pressed back hard against the older man with a groan. It made Jack shudder, grinding his hips up against the younger man at how _easy_ it would be to make the little fantasy he was spinning reality. God, that was… something to think about. If the way Rhys’ cheeks were going slightly pink was any indication, then the younger man was _into_ it. 

“You have _any_ idea just how much power I have here? I really could jerk your pretty dick off right in the middle of a meeting and no one would _blink._ Make you come in front of anyone I wanted, and they’d act like it’s _normal_ if I said it was,” he said with a huff of amusement at what his employees were willing to put up with. Hardly a drop in the bucket as far as Hyperion was concerned. ‘Normal’ was relative, anyways.

“Oh _Jack-”_

His hand was moving faster, the scent of the younger man’s arousal thick in his nose. Damn, Rhys had to be the best smelling thing this side of the cosmos. “They wouldn’t be allowed to touch you, though,” the older man growled in pleasure, tugging an earlobe as Rhys’ hips arced up. “I’d make sure they were watching, though. Maybe let them close enough to see that pretty dick shoot all over my hand when--”

Rhys was coming, cock jerking in pleasure over Jack’s hand, his release covering them both. He was saying the older man’s name, he was pretty sure, but all he could hear was blood rushing in his ears and feel Jack move behind him. The CEO was chuckling, and as the last pulses of pleasure calmed in him, Rhys went boneless against the older man. He didn’t even snap at Jack when the alpha wiped his hand on Rhys’ black slacks, leaving messy, _obvious_ streaks. He felt too good. That was… That was _so_ needed.

“We could try that some time, you know,” Jack whispered into his ear, voice slightly smug as he pressed a simple kiss to Rhys’ temple. “Not like you know any of these morons, and some of the jerkoffs in bioscience could stand to see how it’s really _done.”_

Rhys just snorted, not commenting on just how much that actually perked his interest. God, what was wrong with him. “You owe me new pants,” he said with a chuckle.

“I’ll buy you the store,” Jack promised with another kiss, letting his hand encompass the younger man’s now-soft dick still hanging out his pants. “You really do have the best dick. If you were an alpha, just, _game over_ sweetheart. As far as dicks go, yours is _perfection.”_

Rhys relaxed back against him with a little laugh. He couldn’t be too mad about the pants, not when Jack was praising his stupid spent cock, or was being so very careful tucking him back into his pants. 

He lolled his head back to give the older man a fond smile. “You want me to take care of you?”

“Nah sweetheart, I’m good.” Rhys frowned at that, the insult and hurt clear on his face for the rejection as Jack just snickered and shook his head. “Don’t give me that look, pumpkin. You’re such a hot little thing, I already creamed my pants.” He chuckled as Rhys snorted in disbelief to sit up a bit, and Jack pressed a kiss to his jaw. “Which, in a minute, is gonna start to feel _really_ gross, so let’s get up and have a quick shower before we get down to _actual_ business, hm?”

He might’ve thought something was wrong or the alpha was covering if Jack hadn’t bitched so much getting undressed in the little adjacent washroom. Yeah, that was… _yeah_. So he’d made the CEO of Hyperion come in his pants. Talk about power trip. Okay, Jack _really_ liked him, no question about that.

Jack had no problem making sure they were both _especially_ clean after the fact, and he left some very-telling hickies on the younger man’s body as they showered away their little bout of fun. 

They then redressed and spent the rest of the time until his next meeting planning some things for Athena to look into. Rhys gratefully vacated the older man's desk when the pair from diagnostics came in, the suggestive look on Jack’s face being ignored while Rhys turned positively scarlet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feels are happening. _Things_ are happening. And I think I've brought most information full circle based on some stuff I learned from your comments last chapter (and thank you again! leave me moooooore hahah 27pages this beast was!). I've been sneaking things in we'll see in later chapters, some stuff ya'll have guessed at that won't make the fic until a few more chaps, but im just like _hehe heh heh_ over here.
> 
> The recycling scam is something the yakuza regularly go. We had to be careful what services we used when I was living in japan hahaha
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually extremely pleased with the way this chapter came out. Jack's speech was the first thing written for this story _well_ over a year ago xD And do you like angst? BRING ON THE ANGST
> 
> Please leave a comment if you're enjoying the story ;D

Rhys was busy downloading everything he could about Jack from the echonet. 

Every rumor, every fact, every stupid picture and photo-op of the man he could get his hands on, and filling one of the expensive storage devices he’d treated himself to. 

The alpha just wasn't present in their own systems back on Crius, and he wanted everything to possibly do with Jack always at his fingertips. He was having trouble _fully_ admitting it to himself, but he was preparing for when the hard decisions would finally come; for potential heartache when he'd leave the older man.

He was eager for news from Athena. 

Jack had let him make his own echo log to her; ask his own questions under his own private supervision to send directly to the woman on his home planet, _sans_ Jack. Rhys didn't think the older man would appreciate some of his questions, honestly, especially concerning their fragile relationship that seemed more and more dependent on exactly _what_ was happening on Crius, but Rhys _had_ to know. He couldn't just-- well not that he was even _entertaining_ the idea- but he couldn't just stay with Jack without knowing first hand what was happening.

He wanted to know if his dogs were still alright, for one. And if his cybernetics program was in the process of being dismantled like he greatly feared. If Jack was right about his uncle-- or really, right about any of the conclusions the alpha had drawn about Atlas- then Rhys wanted to absolutely know it, no matter how painful. He needed to know the truth of things, and he kept telling himself over and over that _regardless_ of what he might learn, that he _needed_ go back. Fix it all.

“What do you want for dinner, kitten?”

Rhys looked up from where he’d been lost in thought as he was cataloguing whole archives from his favorite Hyperion message boards about Jack. The alpha was giving him an expectant look from the kitchen.

Rhys cocked his head at the older man. “You’re cooking?”

Jack gave a little underappreciated chuckle. “You know, you could sound _less_ surprised there. I cook a lot for you.” At Rhys’ snort, Jack gave him a scowl. “What, you like takeout more than _my_ cooking now?”

The omega gave him a teasing grin of agreement, but he knew Jack would see through it. Rhys much _much_ preferred Jack’s cooking to anything else on the station. “All we ever eat is takeout. I mean, it's reliable. Since when are you in the _mood_ to cook?”

“Since I think _your_ crappy eating habits are going to brush off on me.”

Rhys didn’t miss a beat, that shit-eating grin still on his face as Jack just continued in his frown. “I saw you eat those expired pretzels in the back of the cupboard I trashed.”

“They were only _three_ days past and tasted fine and-- _You know what_? You don’t _get_ a say in dinner. Happy now, sugartits?”

Rhys held back the laughs as best he could as Jack grumbled to himself, and the alpha pulled on an apron and went about making far more noise than necessary preparing whatever he was preparing. 

Rhys smirked and went back to his cataloguing from the table, making a note to also try and get some of Jack’s personal recipes to help soothe what was going to be, in his opinion, a _very_ miserable transition. 

Jack more or less left Rhys to whatever stuff he was working on, shooting the younger man more than a few unnecessary glances. Since sending off his own messages to Athena, Jack had a growing sick feeling in his gut. Rhys was going to leave him unless he did something. He knew it. He just didn’t know _what_ to do yet.

Home-cooked food was a good start, not to mention a good outlet for the nervous energy running through him.

Pulling out all the stops and making a seriously ball-tightening mushroom-sauce and spaghetti from total scratch should put a few points on his side. Even if the cute little shit sitting at his table probably wouldn’t know a good home-made noodle if it killed him.

Jack’s forearms were dusted in white from flour as he rolled out dough. Rhys had looked up with interest when the rolling pin came out, asking if they were having cookies, so _of course_ Jack was going to whip some up real quick for dessert while his sauce simmered and water boiled.

Not that Rhys deserved it. The alpha was just in the mood, was all.

“That smells really good,” Rhys said from the table, looking up with interest while Jack’s strong arms were working sugar cookie dough into a sheet. 

“We’re doing a big spaghetti night, which is more than you deserve, you little shit.”

“That doesn’t look like spaghetti.”

The teasing, smug smirk on his face was unneeded, Jack thought. “ _You_ don’t look like spaghetti.”

“Cute, Jack.” Rhys got up from the table, leaving his programs alone to scour for any new material on Jack, and came up to inspect what the alpha was doing. “Oooh wait are you _really_ making cookies?”

The note of pleasure in the omega’s voice made his damn ego swell, and Jack covered the self-pleased grin on his face with a dirty comment. “I was gonna make them in the shape of my dick but there’s not enough dough on Helios for that.”

“You just said shape, not _size_.”

“I see this is a topic you’re well-versed in, cupcake,” Jack said with a toothy leer that made the younger man grin as well. Rhys just laughed and wrapped his arms around Jack from behind, nuzzling the older man with a chuckle. Jack allowed himself a smirk while being held by the omega. “You almost done with whatever stuff you’ve got going, baby?”

“Research. For the cybernetics meeting. And yeah. For today.”

Jack snorted. “ _Nerd._ ” The alpha grinned when Rhys only tightened his arms around him. He looked behind himself to catch Rhys’ eyes. “If you’re not too busy nerding out, get us some plates, _nerd._ ”

Rhys gave him a bite through his shirt for that, laughing at the yelp and flour-y hands that grabbed him in retribution. He laughed harder as Jack brought him close against his chest, flour on the apron getting on Rhys’ shirt as the omega squirmed away from the nipping kisses Jack forced on sensitive neck skin. The curses at his person between bitten kisses both amused _and_ aroused Rhys, and he was breathless by the time Jack showed his skin any mercy. 

“Don’t think we’re not finishing this later,” Jack purred into the younger man’s throat as he dragged his nose up Rhys’ neck with fondness. 

“You got flour on my shirt,” the younger man said with a smirk, cybernetic fingers dancing on Jack’s back where he clung to the older man.

“If my sauce wasn’t in danger of burning, I’d get more than just flour on your shirt, Rhysie,” Jack growled, kissing that smirk from the omega’s lips. Rhys’ pupils were dilated with interest, but he pushed him away with a smile to check their dinner.

Rhys watched him for a moment, a tightness in his chest that reminded him he'd better enjoy times like these. “I’m gonna go change.”

“Change into something less mouthy,” the older man snarked as he let him go. He ignored whatever smartass comment Rhys said under his breath as the omega moved towards their bedroom, and went about grabbing plates and dishing out their food himself. 

Rhys was just in time for the apron to come off and Jack to place their meals at the table as he reappeared in a fresh t-shirt. The sound of pleasure that crossed Rhys’ lips at the completed aromas in the air made Jack swell with pride. 

“Wait until you taste it. If you cream your shorts, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“You never fail to charm, Jack.”

“Damn right buttercup. Now grab us something to drink and let’s tuck in.”

Rhys squirreled his own items on the table away while the alpha loaded a tray of cookies into the oven, and then joined the omega as Rhys was already helping himself to his high-piled decadence. 

“This is good. _Really_ good, Jack.”

“I’ve _told_ you a million times I can cook,” Jack said with a roll of his eyes. “...rather eat takeout my ass...”

Rhys smirked. Jack just wouldn't let it go. If the result of joking on the frequency of said takeout meals was tasty home cooked meals instead, Rhys would make all the jokes about it the world. “...Wouldn't think you _could_ with how much takeout we eat.”

“There's cooking, and then there's _art_. Gotta have the proper time to paint a masterpiece.”

“Sure Jack,” Rhys said with a laugh, spooning up another bite of just the sauce and humming in pleasure to himself. It really was good. Damn good. Jack had to be a freakin’ wizard in the kitchen or something because the time to make it didn't match his taste expectations whatsoever. He wondered if he could even eat _half_ as close to this if recreating the meal himself. “Mmm… okay, I take it back. This was totally worth it.”

“Want me to cook you masterpieces more often, sugar?” Jack asked with a smirk, a little more interested in his answer than he wanted to admit. If his cooking could keep the younger man, then damn, he'd pull out all the freakin’ stops and _live_ in the kitchen if that's what it would take. 

At this point, he was willing to try _every_ angle he could.

“I'd be lying if I said no,” the omega told him with a grin as they both ate. Jack snorted but shoved a big forkful of saucy noodles into his mouth, presumably to hide the self-pleased grin Rhys had put there. The younger man pushed more sauce onto the noodles and loaded his own fork with a pleased grin. “What are the brown things?”

“Brown things? The meat?”

“No, the tasty little marshmallow things.”

Jack snorted. Yeah, he'd cut them a bit weird, but he found it maximized the taste. Aaaaaand Rhys had kind of distracted him over a very specific question over a photoshoot Jack had forgotten he’d done ages ago when he'd been chopping them. The alpha still had some questions pertaining to _that_ little inquiry, and how the hell he'd found out about it. 

“I put mushrooms in the sauce.” Rhys immediately put his fork down, looking sick, and pushed his plate away from him. Jack gave him an insulted look. “What?”

“ _Why did you have to tell me that?”_

“What? You asked.”

“Mushrooms are-- I might need to go throw up…”

Jack gave him a slightly-offended, annoyed look. “Are you serious right now?”

“Do I _look_ serious??”

He looked kind of green, actually. The alpha sat up a bit straighter. “Wait, you aren't allergic are you? You need a medic?”

Rhys merely sneered. “Mushrooms are _disgusting_ , Jack. A violation of nature. A…” He paused in his diatribe and pushed his chair out. “God I might actually throw up.”

“Are you _kidding_ me? You just said how much you liked ‘em. Wolfed ‘em down even. As far as I'm concerned, you and mushrooms are a match made in heaven.”

Rhys raced away from the table as Jack sat there stupefied. He finished the next bite he’d wrapped around his fork before following after the omega’s rather dramatic exit. He was going to really tease him hard over this, but the sound of actual sickness from the bathroom made him reconsider. 

So. Mushrooms were out. Okay. That was okay, just a little setback. He could make any number of just as delicious dishes that would make the omega reconsider leaving. Not a problem, start over. 

He was waiting outside when Rhys reappeared, looking sweaty and uncomfortable but otherwise okay.

“Wow. So you don’t like mushrooms, huh?”

Rhys shot him an offended look that he’d even mention it after he was just sick. “Don’t _ever_ bring them up again. I just… That’s _disgusting_ , Jack. They’re not even-- They’re _disgusting_.”

“Fine, gotcha, one culinary treat completely off the menu, never to be mentioned again… but you’re missing out babe.”

Rhys shot him another glare and went for the ice cream in the freezer instead, avoiding the table altogether. Jack finished his own plate before clearing both, having a little chuckle every time Rhys shot him another accusatory glare from his whole carton of ice cream on the couch.

The omega eventually gave him a smile and even a laugh when the alpha presented him with a cock-shaped cookie some time later. The frosting details were a little much, but it made him feel better-- and even laugh at Jack's expression as he bit the tip right off.

\--

Correspondence for the both of them came from Athena a day later. 

Jack was… _not pleased_ wasn't exactly correct. He was pleased to _finally_ hear something, and for general news, but curious at what Rhys would make of things; what exactly she'd told him even after Jack _gently_ warned her against furthering his desire to leave.

“We’re going to have to renegotiate my contract if you want me to stay out here any longer, Jack,” Athena told the comm with a glare befitting her tone. “They’re more organized than I thought, and with paranoia on the rise it's getting harder to do these things. I can't move around with the same anonymity I've been and patrols are on the rise even in the border cities. I’ve gathered all I can for you but you _need_ to make a decision or I’m catching the next transport out. Vasquez Industrial has quite a few of those.”

Jack frowned at the video message, already composing his own response in his head. He _needed_ her out there. Maybe a little bribery to the tune of anything her mate wanted would sweeten things. Athena wouldn’t _just_ take cold hard cash; she had to be interested in a job. If her interest was waning, then Jack needed to start making some decisions on how to handle the Crius problem. Bribing her mate with some ridiculously expensive tool or gift was a good start.

Rhys, on the other hand, was making a few decisions of his own. He’d squirreled himself away immediately to watch what Athena had sent, and Jack was in a _mood_ if he'd ever seen it. It was a sensitive issue, he was aware. Rhys himself was concerned about seeing anything that might make him homesick, but so far, just getting an unbiased report of what was happening in his absence was more than he could have ever wanted.

After coming to terms with a few things in her log, the omega didn't feel weird showing the older man what she'd sent. _Anything_ to get that damn look off the alpha’s face; the older man was clearly broadcasting how he felt in the matter, and more than a small part of Rhys understood that feeling perfectly. 

He sat cozy in Jack’s lap as they watched it together on the couch, the frown on Jack’s face still not moving.

“Your _dogs_ are fine,” Athena reported sourly after some quick introductions, and Jack smirked to himself to know her frown on his own response hadn’t just been for him. “My _ass_ on the other hand… Jack is paying for any damages. You let him know.”

She hadn't snuck back into Rhys’ property. His security measures had been tripped the last time she was there and they were still active. She commended him on it as it was tough as shit to bypass, and while there _had_ been attempts by some official Atlas-branded vehicles, nothing had gotten through.

“Yeah those are…uh...” Rhys chuckled a little self-consciously. “Every day I don't acknowledge the problem, the encryption gets harder to crack to turn it off. They probably need my fingerprint by now.”

Jack leaned to look at him proper. “Wha-- are you serious?”

Rhys smirked, pausing Athena’s voice as he answered the alpha. “They made me very paranoid growing up, Jack. It's the only way I could sleep at night. And, also, if anything _did_ happen to me, I wanted to make sure no one could vandalize my family home. And if they tried, well, they deserve every nasty surprise I put in there.”

He also felt secure in the knowledge that if his uncle had made it in _once,_ bypassing his security measures, that he wouldn’t be able to again since they’d been activated by Athena’s own presence. It was a little thing, but he felt smugly satisfied about that. 

All his belongings and sentimental treasures were still safe. His _home_ was still safe.

He took a small amount of comfort in that.

“Damn pumpkin, remind me to have you take a look at some of our stuff. I want that for here. Booby traps and cool shit, yeah.”

Rhys only snorted in response, and resumed playing the message.

“The situation is as bad as you have expected. Nothing compared to criminal activity on Pandora, of course, and easily fixed in _my_ opinion. You've got a power struggle on your hands, and there's been public backlash over announcements to end prosthetics support in favor of home defense, aside from reappropriating your budget. There’s internal issues as well, both political and personal. Looks like a Crian version of a bandit ho-down, though I'd hardly classify it as a nuisance compared to what Hyperion is like. And you can tell Jack I said that.”

Jack made a noise of displeasure, almost a growl, as he heard those words. Rhys squeezed his hand, but it was nothing the omega hadn’t already heard himself, and if anything, it gave the younger man confidence that Atlas wasn't _yet_ beyond fixing. This was still something he could do.

Jack held him a little closer; a little tighter.

The older man wondered if it had only spurred Rhys to get back. And if his mind was really as made up as it seemed, then this probably only reinforced the idea he needed to get back.

Athena gestured as if there was nothing for it. “Vasquez Industrial is openly trying to snipe your talent away from this mess. Anyone loyal to your programs has been jumping ship, from what I’ve seen and heard. This uncle of yours is overhauling Atlas’ business model, and propaganda pieces about protecting the family and potential kidnappings are riling up the public. They're using your death to stir up trouble, and all signs point to flooding the market with weapons. If it works, Atlas is going to be _very_ rich off people’s fears. Everyone is jumpy, and it's making it _hard_ to do my job.”

She went on to say everyone she’d looked after for him was still alive and well for the most part, that his house was still intact, pets fine, and that he was still being officially mourned by the corporate world-- with the exception of Vasquez Industrial, who stood by past declarations of innocence to bride-smuggling, and that everything happening was a _lie._

Rhys scoffed at that. “I’m surprised my uncle hasn’t had him killed. I mean, Vasquez sounds crazy even to me, but with my uncle knowing what he knows…”

“The good thing about being in the public eye, sugar: if he did anything against him, it would give some credence to what he’s saying.” Jack snorted at the thought. Things were shaky there right now, or his uncle would've made a move. That's what _Jack_ would've done, and this sly sonuvabitch was pulling all the strings right now. “It's sweet how loyal everyone is to you. Well, except for the dumbasses that set you up. You’ve got an uprising on your hands, and uprisings are _messy_ , babe, let me tell ya. You want me to give Athena orders to just take everyone out?”

Rhys knew what Jack was _really_ getting at: that he never need step a foot off Helios. But this was something he needed to do himself; there were good people at Atlas, and Crius might have its own problems, but everyone wasn’t _bad_. Crius wasn't Pandora. Jack’s way was easy, but what would be lost… It would never be worth the cost.

“No, Jack,” Rhys said a bit warmly, squeezing the older man’s hand. “I just… Why no one’s tried silencing Vasquez yet, or taken him seriously, just-- I don't get any of it.”

“You heard the woman.”

“No, I mean, I get it, but--- my uncle just _hates_ Vasquez. If he was trying to set _me_ up, his own- his own-” Rhys had to pull up short at that, stop himself. He didn't need to dwell any more on the fact that his uncle wanted his own blood kin out of the picture. He gave his head a little shake. “Vasquez should be easy pickings. He must know _something_. God, it’s all going to hell.”

“We’ll figure out a game plan, baby, okay?” Jack's chin was on his shoulder and Rhys leaned his cheek for a kiss the older man was more than happy to give. “Nice and foolproof, get things set right. You trust me, right puddin’ pop?”

“I….” Rhys breathed in his scent. Did he trust him? Jack had been nothing but supportive and reliable thus far, and the comfort and safety and security in the other man made Rhys feel at ease. Did he even have a choice where his idiot heart was concerned? “Yeah. Yeah….”

“Okay, then it'll be fine.” Jack kissed the back of his neck, holding the younger man tightly in his lap. Rhys leaned back into the embrace, and Jack deeply inhaled the omega’s scent. “Leave it to me, pumpkin. Now we just have to send a little message to start the cleanup. It'll be okay, I _promise_.”

\--

Apparently Jack had meant literally.

Jack sent out a video message to the company-- to Rhys’ uncle, specifically- having a little fun ‘playing the villain’ as he put it. It still struck way too close to home for the omega, and he was sick watching the finished product, but knew that Jack would get results.

“Hey there peasants!” The alpha’s face was mid-range in the footage, a smug grin on that handsome, powerful face. It was the twinkle in Jack’s eye that really sold it. It said he was a man who enjoyed _destruction_ , and knew exactly what he was capable of. “Bet you never thought a tiny thing like you would get the attention of _Handsome Jack himself_ out there in the ass-end of the universe! No introductions necessary, I _know_ you kiddos know who I am. I mean, it's _me_! Not to mention, I happen to know you’re quite the big fans of Hyperion weaponry. But we’ll get to that later. It’s your lucky day! You see, I’ve got something that belongs to you-- or, should I say, something that you don’t necessarily want _found.”_

Rhys cringed as Jack had pulled up video imaging of when Rhys had been locked up in his room pacing, shortly after Jack had un-crated him in his striped blue pajamas. That meeting seemed so so long ago, and Rhys rolled his eyes at himself as he paced in the footage like an angry cat. If only his past self _knew_ what would become of him.

Jack _swore_ the video feed was only used that once, but Rhys had his suspicions that the alpha might’ve peeped on him from time to time, and as Jack had been secretive in putting together this little threat, Rhys suspected the older man had watched him far more than once, and had gone through quite a bit of footage during the creative process. Jack, after all, was a very visual man.

He could be concerned about that _later_ though.

The feed of Rhys cut and went back to Jack’s smug face. “And lucky for you, you have something that belongs to _me_. Or several somethings. But we’ll come back to that, too, because let me tell you, I've seen some prize specimens from the outer planets, but _this_ one-- _haha wowzers_ \- he has got quite a mouth on him! The things he's been telling me… _hooo_ I'm glad I'm not in your shoes! Especially since you’ve been turning a neat little profit off our toys. He sings like a little bird, and I gotta say, the entertainment value of what he's been saying _alone_ has kept him alive.

“But being as I’m an all-around okay-guy, I figure this can all be our little secret--just a misunderstanding is all- if you return Hyperion’s property, and I _won't_ turn your little planet into a new asteroid belt. 

“Oh, and you'll get him back, too. _Or_ send him out into deep space, whatever it is you weirdos in nowheresville do. I’m pretty flexible myself. No really, I can bend in ways you couldn’t imagine. Or maybe you can, hahaha. But yeah, you want my handsome lips keeping this little secret a secret, you’re gonna need to _pay_. In person. This pretty thing has been telling me some _very_ juicy stories that I’m sure would look badly on the company payroll. Too bad, Atlas seemed like it was going places, and _man_ , gotta love the way the stock jumps from a tragedy, right? 

“You've got forty-eight hours to respond, and I _know_ you will. I built some prime relays just for the pleasure of speaking to you all! Because I'm _rich,_ got it? And there is _nothing_ money can't buy. Especially cool, planet-exploding laser beams! I'm rarin’ to give you a free demonstration, you just say when! Well, enough gabbing from me, hear from ya _real_ soon! Later babes!”

The message was sent by the same relays to Athena, who’d make sure it got into Rhys’ uncle’s hands. They'd allowed for transit time with instructions to Athena on what to do should they be stupid enough not to give in to Jack’s demands. Now they would have to wait.

So that was two days his uncle had to answer… minus the actual time it would get back to Jack. Lucky the alpha wasn’t particular about the timing, though. He had zero intention of returning the omega.

“There’s no way that’s gonna work, Jack.”

“Ooooh I think it will, sweetheart.” Jack pulled him into his lap in his home-office, Rhys swearing as he was maneuvered into the alpha’s arms and nearly falling. Not that he _should_ be alarmed, Jack had him. “We’re gonna get you your company back easy-peasy.”

“He wants me _dead_ ,” Rhys grumbled, sitting himself straighter and wrapping Jack’s arm around him proper for security. The older man held him firmly. “Why bother getting me back?”

“Oh you’d be surprised what the threat of global _annihilation_ will do to people, kitten.” Jack pressed a kiss just below the omega’s ear. “Just wait. We’ll be hearing back and seeing him a lot sooner than you think.”

Rhys didn’t _want_ to see his uncle, but he was willing to give this plan a shot. If anything, it put off the inevitability of Rhys’ return to Crius, giving the omega more time to spend with Jack. It wasn’t an _excuse_ to stay longer-- they were just awaiting a reply was all.

“What do we do now?” Rhys asked, slumping back into the older man, a little discouraged at the thought. It was officially the beginning of the end. 

“Now? Like _right_ now?” Jack asked as his hand slid down to the front of Rhys’ pants, and the omega snorted as Jack nibbled his ear. “I can think of a couple of disturbingly graphic things I’d like to do to you, sweetheart. And have you do to me.”

Rhys hummed in pleasure at the lips on his skin. Yeah, best to enjoy what he could right now. He could hold off on his plans until they heard back. Nothing wrong with that. 

Rhys smiled, a hand holding Jack’s head as he felt anxious and excited both for the present future. “Not in here, Jack. I don’t want rug burn again.”

The alpha laughed before nearly dumping Rhys on the ground in his eagerness to get up, but then surprised the omega by managing to lift him bridal style. Rhys didn’t think Jack was that strong, and it sent a coil of pleasure through him at the most primal layers as the alpha easily manhandled him.

That Jack dumped him onto the bed once they reached the bedroom more or less killed the romance vibes, but the hungry look that the alpha gave him before kissing him through the mattress more than made up for it, and anything distressing was driven from his mind as Jack drove him mad with pleasure.

\--

“All your favorite key players are gonna be there today, kiddo. ‘Sunglasses’, ‘Hairdo’, and my favorite, ‘Hard-on for robo-parts Bob’.”

“I’m pretty sure _none_ of them had names like that, Jack.” Rhys laughed as he was preening in front of one of the mirrors adjacent to the living room. Jack was sprawled out in comfort on the couch as if he _hadn’t_ absolutely made the omega’s day by setting up this meeting with his cybernetics department.

“You excited, sugar pants?”

Rhys snorted, mumbling ‘sugar pants’ under his breath as he grinned at Jack. “Of course. Uh, you _know_ this might create a conflict of interests…”

“Not where you’re concerned, sweetheart.”

Jack rather _tactfully_ didn’t mention that he expected Rhys to be won over by Helios’ cybernetics and robotics department, and furthermore was _counting_ on it to ensnare him in Hyperion’s own web. It was clear on Rhys’ own face that he knew what the CEO might be trying, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to turn down a meeting with other professionals _excited_ about the future of cybernetics. Just the budgetary meeting he'd been taken to before had been thrilling, but _this_ was supposed to be so much more. Hell yes he was excited.

“How do I look?”

“Good enough to eat,” Jack said with a leer. “That your favorite color, babe?”

Rhys looked up from the golden shirt he was wearing, and then raised a brow as if to ask if he was being teased. Jack only smiled.

“Looks good on you. You’ve got quite a few with that color now. Must be your fav, right?”

“No,” Rhys said, looking down at the shirt with slight judgment. “Just looks great with my complexion.”

Jack sat there disappointed that Rhys hadn’t volunteered the information he was actually looking for. The omega picked at the shirt as Jack huffed. “If you looked great in your favorite, what color would that be?

Rhys’ lips immediately twitched into a smile, he himself amused as Jack sat there quickly realizing he’d been caught and was embarrassed about it. “Jack, are you trying to ask me what my favorite color is?”

He was blushing. Handsome Jack was actually _blushing_ , feeling his skin go all hot under his mask. Rhys, little shit that he was, was grinning hard and looking at Jack with the most amused sparkle in his stupid, gorgeous eyes. He’d been found out, but he hadn’t expected the younger man to be so damn tickled by it.

The alpha was actually speechless, no smart retort coming that wouldn't incriminate him further, and Rhys crawled onto the couch and into his lap as Jack refused to meet his eyes while the younger man was smiling like he knew all the secrets of the universe.

“You can just ask me, you know,” Rhys told him, rubbing thumbs over Jack’s jaw with a smirk while the alpha just huffed and rolled his eyes like his face wasn’t aflame. He still wouldn't look at him, even as Rhys pressed smiling kisses to his face. “My favorite color is purple, but I look best in yellows and blues. My birthday is the ninth, I don’t like mushrooms, and I like sitting by the lake and relaxing with wine in the bath.”

Jack snorted, quick to find something to tease about. “You _would_ like wine in the bath. Bubbles kind of guy?”

“Yeah. And my little rubber duck,” he agreed, pulling himself closer so he could take the older man’s head between his hands and kiss his lips properly. “I already know your favorite color is yellow,” Rhys said with his own teasing smile as he watched Jack’s eyes with his own. “And your birthday, and turn ons, and _dick_ size, all the _other_ stuff on the echonet.” Jack snorted and called him a creepy fanboy, but it didn't stop the older man’s hands to come down to cup his ass through his pants in appreciation. Rhys only grinned. “But I also know you like to sleep with three pillows, like your coffee with lots of cream, and the broken pieces of nacho-flavored pretzel bits at the bottom of the bag are your favorite.” 

“You're _definitely_ like one of my creepy fanboys, Rhysie. Totally creepy. Bet you watch me when I sleep too, weirdo.”

A large amount of pleasure was in Jack’s voice, that grin he was trying to temper not fooling the younger man one bit. Rhys just grinned and didn't admit to _that_ one either way, stroking his thumb over Jack’s neck fondly.

“You’re kind of all over the place like a bad oil spill, Jack. It's not hard to learn about _you_. But we’re too far out from Crius for anything you can read about _me_ , so, just ask me,” he said as his heart beat faster in his chest, knowing it was a bad idea to just get in deeper, know each other better. It would hurt that much more ripping it out later, and ‘later’ was looking sooner and sooner. But the fact that Jack _wanted_ to know more about him, and was trying to be sneaky about the fact…. It touched Rhys to his very core, and he was filled with aching fondness for the older man. 

Rhys wasn't going to deny him knowing about him. Especially where those storage drives the omega was filling up with info on _Jack_ was concerned.

“Rhysie…”

“I even know about the jelly.”

“Okay,” Jack said dismissively with a lot more confidence, jolted by the memory of purple stickiness over his cock, “let’s _not_ talk about that one again. _Ever._ ” Rhys only snickered, but nuzzled the side of Jack’s face reassuringly. “Tell me, Rhysie… what’s your favorite scent? Perfume or musk-wise? What do you like?”

“Hands down my favorite scent is _your_ scent,” he purred, maybe laying it on a little thick, but god he couldn't get enough of the way Jack smelled, and he was feeling affectionate knowing Jack wanted to know him. The older man was nice and clean and prepped for this meeting, and he smelled like power and strength and _safety_ all rolled into one.

He made a mental note to still bag away some of the alpha’s clothes when he left.

Jack groaned. “I can’t believe you said that-- well I can, it’s _me_ after all- but _god_ that’s corny like oh my god you absolute _dork._ ”

“You’re what an alpha _should_ smell like,” Rhys told him with a bit of a growl in his voice. No one back home smelled anything like Jack did. It was a damn attractive scent. One he didn't want to dwell on how hard he'd miss. “Nothing wrong with saying that.”

“Rhysie-- god _can’t you just stay here_?” Jack asked suddenly, the note of desperation there actually causing Rhys’ chest to clench.

“Jack--”

“I know, I _know_ ,” the alpha huffed with annoyance as he nuzzled him back, kissing the side of Rhys’ neck and trying to get across how much he wanted him to _stay_ with his body alone.

The omega settled heavily against him, hugging him tightly, and they sat together a while before they needed to make way to the meeting, a little more somber than the day had started out, but holding hands and making small talk as they walked the hallways of Helios.

\--

The cybernetics meeting was exciting enough that the younger man was quickly pulled out of his funk by the proposals and budget requests over new projects; hardly a funds meeting in its own. There were _details_ here for actual plans, small, delicate prototypes, and discussion of theory that got more and more heated as the eggheads in the room got fired up. Rhys was in his damn element, and Jack knew it.

They lingered long after, Rhys showing off his arm yet again, fielding questions about his own project for a cybernetic eye, and revelling just a little in the way Jack kept close to his side, a hand possessive at his hip. He loved the attention, he loved the topics, and furthermore he loved the way the others in the room seemed to respect the claim Jack was openly placing on Rhys; accepted as _Jack’s omega_ like it had always been his proper place. Rhys had been on cloud nine.

It might not be _everyone’s_ idea of a good time, but Rhys had had such a good day, he didn’t even think about Crius or the awaiting answer from his uncle once.

Jack grabbed beer and snacks once they were showered and settled into pajama pants and t-shirts back home, ready to round out the evening with one of Jack’s biopics. Some relaxation and just quality time was on the menu since it wasn’t clear just how many more times they might be able to do this (though neither pointed out as much).

Jack wrapped both arms around Rhys from behind, sitting with the younger man in his lap as if he could seep into Rhys’ bones like a drug. It was good and warm and he could just scent the younger man forever if Rhys let him. The omega smelled like happiness and comfort and home and hearth and Jack wanted to hold him even though he already _was._

It was with panic that Jack realized his priorities had shifted without notice, and that the very top of his life motivations was making Rhys _happy_. Even if doing so meant his own misery, he wanted Rhys to be the happiest, most well-kept little omega in the galaxy; make sure he got everything he wanted.

He'd have to send him back. 

Jack couldn't keep him by force without the omega coming to hate him, he _knew_ it. Rhys wanted to go back. Or not _wanted_ exactly, but thought that he _needed_ to. And he'd be unhappy if he couldn't. There were too many loose ends and weird family history the younger man felt he needed to tie up. That little lingering sense of something left _unfinished_ was like an itch you couldn't scratch and couldn't ignore either. 

Jack understood the need to do things yourself, make sure it was done right, but that didn't mean he could like it. Even if this little cover-up story and scheme about the Atlas heir was something Rhys wanted to fix himself. It was Rhys’ own version of fighting off Dahl; something he needed to do. The omega had to prove to himself he was capable of being CEO of Atlas, and handling a crisis. As much as Jack teased him, he could _still_ see that adorable streak of pride for the smaller company in the omega’s eye. Rhys wanted to bring Atlas to the forefront of technology, and he was still finding his feet as a baby-CEO. This wasn't something he _should_ do so much as it was something he _had_ to do, and the Hyperion alpha knew he had what it took.

Jack hoped that despite his frequent teasing of the younger man, that Rhys had learned a few things about necessary-kills to keep a company efficient, and keep himself wary. People would walk all over an omega-CEO if they thought they could. And Jack wished he could be there to shoot every insubordinate face personally.

There were many a thing Jack wanted to do regarding Rhys, actually; things he wanted from the omega both realistic _and_ fantastic. 

Bonding for one. He couldn't deny the urge running through him, wanting to mark the other man for his own, jaw aching to bite every time he kissed or played with the sensitive nape of Rhys’ skin. 

Bonding would be impossible though. Rhys was stubborn enough he'd still go back even if Jack thought he might be receptive to it, but he'd suffer in the end. A bond wasn't at all feasible. Totally irresponsible, in both terms of the pain and physical harm it could cause, and the seriousness of doing such a thing when he knew they couldn't be together for much longer. Bonding was supposed to be a permanent-thing; long term for devoted mates and lovers, _not_ what amounted to a hot and heavy fling thanks to the mistake of a black-market bridal service.

Didn't mean he couldn't ask, though.

As Jack watched himself on tv giving some speech or whatever promoting Opportunity while some narrator talked about his achievements, the alpha nuzzled the younger man's ear.

“Rhys.”

“Mm?” The younger man leaned further back into Jack in acknowledgement, giving the arms the older man had around him a squeeze. He could feel the strong beat of Jack’s heart in his back, and smiled to himself.

“You ever… I mean, you said you had an alpha on Crius, right?”

“Yeah, a long time ago.”

“You ever think about bonding with him?”

Rhys’ heart sped up at the sudden question and his stomach dropped. 

Jack wasn’t asking about Axton. This wasn’t about that, and he thought they both were very aware of it. He tried to pretend otherwise; keep it nonchalant as his heart sped up in his chest. 

“No. I mean, maybe when talk of a suitable mate came up by the board when he was still around, but, I mean… not… not really, no,” Rhys stammered nervously as Jack nosed about the back of his neck. The alpha's intention couldn't have been louder had he broadcast it through Helios’ PA system. Rhys’ breath was coming faster; scared, excited, and anticipating what Jack might choose to say or do.

“They wouldn’t let you just bond or marry whoever, right? Back then,” Jack asked over the sound of battle on tv, knowing the answer. He scented about the back of Rhys’ neck, feeling how the younger man’s fingers gripped his arm and how he went tense; how Rhys leaned back into his touches and his breathing quickened with his heart.

“No… They, no, there were limitations… for until I was old enough… to… to protect company interests,” Rhys stammered as his heart threatened to beat out of his damn chest. 

Jack _couldn’t_ just be making idle conversation. Not when he was doing _that._ Not with… not with everything on the line. It was sending Rhys’ blood pressure through the roof, everything he wanted but couldn't have. He was excited and scared by the idea of such a proposal. Rhys wasn't sure if the squeezing in his chest was due to anticipation, or heartache for things that just _wouldn't_ work out. That they were even having this conversation made him ache for a future that wouldn't be.

“What about now?”

“Now? Like, _right_ now?” Rhys couldn’t help but ask, turning his head sideways to try and gauge the alpha. It got a chuckle from the older man that shook the younger man in his lap, but he wasn't wrong. Rhys’ face went absolutely scarlet, feeling a little dizzy for what Jack was asking him; for one of the most intimate things an omega could ever do in their life.

“Sure,” Jack said a bit too casually as he licked over the back of Rhys’ neck, pressing his tongue flat against the skin where Rhys’ bonding gland was. 

The omega gave a full body shudder, anticipation and pleasure running up his spine at the very possibility; how easy it would be to just give in. Let Jack bite him, sink his teeth into the give of his flesh, _mark_ him as his own. Let future Rhys worry about it, why not enjoy things while he could have the memories. God that would be so _easy._

The purr in Jack’s voice was seductive, and he could feel Rhys’ trembling in his arms. Jack's own heart beat quickly in his chest. He was playing with fire, asking for things that wouldn't work if Rhys _left_ him, but he wasn’t smart enough to stop torturing himself over possibilities. He'd seen alphas break over omegas they'd bonded with that left them. It wasn't something he had ever considered for himself, but the thought that it might make Rhys _stay_ …. Jack was willing to risk his entire being over that. “Ever think of bonding with someone for the long term?”

Rhys turned his head again to try and look at the older man proper. “Jack…”

“If I asked you to bond with _me,_ would you?” 

Rhys’ heart was beating so hard and his breath coming so fast he thought he might pass out. Jack held him tighter, pressing another kiss to the back of his neck with a husky chuckle, trying to lighten the mood, perhaps, but there was no denying the thundering of Jack’s own heart in his chest against Rhys’ back. This was anything but a game in theory. He didn't want to ask to bond him outright-- they were both too weak for gratification for the seriousness involved in such a request- but if Rhys was _receptive..._

“Hypothetically, Rhysie, if I asked you to… Would you?”

“...I _have_ to go back to Crius, Jack,” Rhys answered instead in a weak voice; wanting, but pained by what was being offered to him. 

He had to fix things back home. Bonding with Jack-- the aftermath of such a thing and subsequently being separated from him…. He wasn’t sure he could actually survive that, even if he really _really_ wanted to try that with the older man. As much as he… _cared_ for Jack, the thought of any kind of future together was as stable as smoke wisps. 

“Yeah… yeah…” the alpha agreed with dejected disappointment that was _too_ casual. “If that wasn’t an issue though… If you _could,_ would you ever think of bonding with _me,_ Rhys?”

Rhys turned in his arms, overwhelmed by so many different thoughts and feelings and the prickling of moisture in his eyes that he could barely hold it together. He fully hugged Jack, face in the older man’s neck and holding tight as if scared he’d disappear. Jack had a hand on the back of Rhys’ head and the other wrapped secure around his middle. Rhys was scared he might crumble to pieces if the alpha let go, and all he could do at the time was hold on tight to the older man while emotions too strong for him to meet head-on churned inside him.

“...Can’t you come with _me…_?” Rhys asked, more than a little shocked at the squeak that was his voice, but needing to ask even knowing the request was impossible. Jack was barely able to spend an entire heat with him on his own space station let alone leave this part of the _galaxy_. They were both asking too much of each other. It just wouldn't work.

“Rhysie, sweetheart…” Jack nuzzled his ear, voice maybe a bit louder than intended as all he could hear was the rushing of blood in his ears. “I can’t… Not for how you mean. What if… Would you marry me, if I asked?”

Rhys felt like he’d been punched in the gut. What in the hell was Jack doing? The downgrade from impossible bond to _very_ doable marriage squeezed at his heart. He knew this couldn’t work out in the long run. Was he hoping to deter Rhys from leaving? But that wasn't his only motivation. It couldn't be. God, but it was tempting, he wanted Jack so bad. Wanted _everything_ the older man was offering. If Crius was closer-- if there was quicker travel to the outer edges of the galaxy, then being apart… even with a bond… He could manage that. If it were closer. If only it were closer.

The way Rhys whined his name made something inside Jack _hurt_ , and it was a feeling he wasn't used to. The alpha rubbed the omega’s back, pressing a kiss to where his pulse thrummed in his neck as Rhys held him tightly. “Wanna give it a try, maybe?” Jack suggested a bit desperately. “I…. I know bonds can break, yeah, but maybe… Let’s say you married me, it might give you reason to come back out here again someday soon? With no possible side effects or anything a bond might do,” he said gruffly into the younger man’s ear, own voice strained with effort, not even remembering a time he wanted something so bad. Rhys was shaking in his lap, and Jack was certain the younger man felt the same. He was sure of it. But Rhys just wouldn't give in. “If we can’t-- If the long-run ain’t possible, you wanna at least experience it all before… Before you leave.”

The seriousness-- _earnestness_ \- of the request in Jack’s voice got Rhys all choked up hard, and he had to blink back the tears in his eyes. Again, the ‘me’ wasn’t there, but Jack… Jack did _not_ want him to go. And god if he actually had nothing to go back to, he _wouldn't._ But that wasn't the case. And it wasn't like…. They hadn't known each other too long. It wasn't-- it might not be love but it felt a lot _like_ it. “Jack… this isn’t _fair.”_

Rhys was crying. Jack could feel it soaking through his t-shirt and warm on his neck, even if the shudders going through the younger man were tightly controlled. Something inside the alpha perversely thrilled at that reaction, if only because it meant Rhys was in as deep as Jack himself. It was mutual; that this was hard for them _both._ He didn’t want the omega to be unhappy; he was pretty sure he could make him _very_ damn happy indeed if only he could get him to stay, but Rhys’ mind was made up.

And at this point, Jack was _not_ above playing dirty to get him to want to stay with him. That his tactics were actually what he _wanted_ to do with the younger man was only a bonus to coaxing the omega to be with him. If they were married, maybe it would convince Rhys he’d want to stay?

“Would you want to give it a try? While we still have some time?” he proposed, holding the trembling younger man and rubbing his back in tight circles. He gave a little halfhearted chuckle. “Might be a little incentive to head out here for a week-long vacation every once in a while… After you’re back in nowheresville, I mean,” he tried to lighten the mood, poking fun at just how far apart they’d be; how much it would hurt.

It missed the mark entirely.

“...you’re so mean, Jack,” Rhys sniffed as he spoke, still clinging tightly to the alpha and having trouble controlling his voice. “...this is… this is _cruel.”_

Jack tried to look at him, but Rhys held tight, giving no leeway as he tried to get comfort from the older man. The alpha straightened up a bit to pet at him, hold him better, speaking plainly with desperation as he held the younger man. “Rhysie, baby, just _stay with me,”_ Jack begged. “I want you to-- Just _stay._ You don't have to go.”

“I _can’t.”_

Jack exhaled long and low, his gut clenching over answers he already knew, and wondering how long it would take to eventually get over the younger man once Rhys was gone. 

He could maybe make a trip or two there on legitimate company business with proper plans in place for keeping Helios running, but that wasn't hardly enough for the rest of his life, and not at all a solution to being _apart_. The communications relays were going to make that aspect easier across the distance, but video was just going to exacerbate things where touch and scent wasn't an option. 

He could move Helios out of Pandora’s orbit, but they still weren’t done with their mining operations there, and the big space station in the sky served as a constant reminder and threat against pulling shit on Hyperion. It would be bad for the company and good for bandit morale if he up and left.

The idea of another space station, or another outpost on one of the more remote planets in the middle of the route, came to mind, but that would take too long to set up. He knew himself well enough to know he couldn’t deal with waiting; that he was impatient when it came to something he _really really_ wanted. He'd need to virtually erase the omega from his mind to ever get over the younger man if he couldn’t convince him to stay somehow.

Might as well count every grain of sand on Pandora while he was at it.

“Just _stay_ , baby. _Please,_ Rhys.”

“I can't do that…” Rhys croaked out as he clung, and Jack buried his face in his neck to inhale every bit of scent he could. “I need to-- I need-- I’d marry you, though,” Rhys said in his ear, sniffling and hugging Jack close, arms tightening further around the alpha. “I’d… Can we, Jack?”

Jack thought his heart was going to explode as it took him a few moments to process. It was as close to everything he wanted as he’d get, and _more_ than he thought Rhys would actually consent to. He couldn’t keep the grin off his face or out of his voice, even as Rhys still shook in his lap. “Hell yes, baby. I’m going to get you the most expensive ring for those pretty fingers. We'll do a big, flashy wedding, lots of champagne. Hell, we’ll even have a bedroom put in on the side so we can get right to work enjoying that honeymoon, huh? Sound good?”

Rhys was crying hard now, but it was tears of bereavement, not joy, and he rubbed his face in Jack’s shirt as his fingers dug into the older man.

Jack held him and comforted him as much as he did himself, trying to commit Rhys’ scent and weight and warmth to his mind. He knew he was setting them both up for more pain. Well, _obviously_ this was going to hurt, but he _hoped_ marrying the younger man might convince Rhys to stay in the long run. And not to mention, Jack wanted to see what married life with Rhys might be like; something he wanted to taste one or ten times before going without.

The strong-willed omega wouldn’t be swayed so easily, but he focused on the fact Rhys had just said _yes_ and that he was going to have a pretty little house-husband for the foreseeable future, even if that future wasn't long at all. That much made him happier than he had any right to be over such a small concession.

It should count for something, though, even _if_ Rhys went back, he'd still be Jack’s husband. It'd keep Rhys safe on Crius as the mate of Handsome Jack of Hyperion. Make him untouchable by reputation alone with the army Jack would send him back with if it came to that. 

It would get Rhys back to him, eventually. He was certain of that much. He didn’t know how soon, but it _would._

It _had_ to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dad's secret mushroom recipe: melt some butter and add granulated parmesan cheese until you have a paste, add bacon bits, spoon the paste into the caps of button top mushrooms, broil on low until the outsides shrivel some/the cheese mixture turns golden brown/the oils leak onto the pan. Hoard for yourself because calories don't exist.
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two month hiatus because i have been very very unmotivated to work on this story, buuuut here's an update! haha. Comment at the end about what you liked/if you want more. It might end up bringing more updates as I'm not sure when the next one will be, and i'm _technically_ still on hiatus... but many lovely people made me aware of how much fun they have reading and stuff, soooo we have an update. :) 
> 
> I've still been here the entire time reading comments left during the past two months, and no, no work of mine is ever abandoned (unless i die, knock on wood HAHA). It's the readers that tend to lose interest and stop commenting after like the first two weeks, which brings me stagnation, and i tend to stop writing. So yeah. Nothing abandoned, but updates are... not decided by me, necessarily. Sorry i'm still salty af haha enjoy the chapter guys :)

Athena’s confirmation that she'd received the recorded threat to Rhys’ uncle and would start the countdown from _her_ time had just come in, and with the disparity considered for the time between sending and her response, Rhys’ uncle had until tomorrow to reply, which mean that the day after _that,_ they’d get his response-- or lack thereof- from Athena.

It would have cast a major cloud of anxiety over Rhys if not for the sudden wedding he needed to prepare for, blinding him with excitement to almost everything else.

Almost.

The idea that his fate with Jack and the time spent with the alpha would be more or less dictated in less than a few nights’ time set him on edge; not exactly the longest amount of time to try and enjoy being a married man. If Rhys’ uncle _didn’t_ reply-- which was a reply in of itself- it would leave things inordinately in the air.

And if he _did…_ Well, depending on how he answered, Rhys would need to be ready to go to war, more or less, and prepare to return as soon as possible and see his uncle answer for his crimes. Not exactly the best way to try and spend a honeymoon, let alone pretend to-- well, _no,_ they weren’t going to _pretend_ to be married. They were going to actually be married. But to jump right into getting his company back… Well, that wasn’t exactly what one might call a charmed, married life.

Jack wasn't at all concerned about the looming response from Crius, instead focused entirely on the omega and showing his worth through overwhelming amounts of affection. 

He wasn’t shy about the fact he'd asked Rhys to marry him the night before, and seemed to be willfully ignoring the fact they'd be separated in the not so distant future. The cuddles, little quick pecks to the cheek in passing as they went about the morning routine, and the way Jack looked at him when he thought he wasn’t looking _really_ sent home the fact that Jack’s intentions were really just about him, and it made his heart speed up _and_ skip beats. 

It would have worried Rhys, this sudden unguarded change in the alpha, except he oddly _trusted_ that Jack wouldn't forcibly keep him there; that marrying him, regardless of the future, was the right choice. Call it gut feeling or omega intuition or whatever, but he didn’t focus so much on Jack’s good mood as he did enjoy his own. It wasn't a game to the older man, he was sure. They might not have a _lot_ of time together, and being aware of that, Rhys opted to enjoy being a married man-- or, having a fiancé- for as long as he could.

Jack already cuddled the crap out of Rhys unashamedly, wrapped around the younger man in bed, or cuddling him in his lap on the couch. It wasn’t as if the alpha’s behavior was sudden… just that Jack seemed to be less bluster, not putting on airs or needing an excuse to show unguarded affection to the younger man who would be his husband. More than once during the afternoon, Rhys had expected a dirty joke or teasing at his expense after something Jack said or did, but nothing came. It was… _nice._ Safe. And it only made him that much more enthusiastic when Jack asked if he was excited to pick out his engagement ring.

They had an evening appointment at Helios’ nicest jeweler to look at rings, and in the meantime, Jack embraced Rhys freely from behind as the omega was making coffee in his office. Or wrapped his arm around Rhys’ waist to press a kiss to his cheek and to scent up his neck and tell him how good he smelled. 

The older man’s unguarded touches and gestures were so sappily sweet that Rhys was worried that he was going to cry again.

This could be his. All of it. Mate who adored him and made him feel good and safe and wanted. That snuck into the shower with him and asked with interest about his favorite desserts and took pleasure in _his_ pleasure. Rhys was going to get a taste of it all while being _married_ to Jack, for however much longer he was with the older man. 

And then he'd know what he was missing. _That_ wasn't something he was looking forward to.

“Hey baby,” Jack asked as they were eating a quick meal in the hub before the appointed time, “You ready to go pick out a diamond bigger than that meatball?”

Rhys looked up from his spaghetti with a smirk. Jack’s grin was infectious, a decidedly _happy_ look on his face as he looked at the younger man. Rhys swallowed the meatball in his mouth and brightly grinned, a light blush coming to his cheeks. “Yeah. Yeah I am.”

Jack cupped the side of his face over the small, private table, and leaned to press a kiss to the younger man's cheek. It was so markedly sweet it made Rhys’ belly do acrobatics. “Anything you want, sweetheart. _Anything_. Only the best for _my_ husband.”

Rhys’ heart skipped a beat and his legs went juuuust a little to jelly at hearing such a title for himself out loud. Goodness, but he _really_ wanted it; was so looking forward to letting the alpha put a ring on his finger it wasn’t even funny.

Just because they'd separate to deal with their own companies on the opposite ends of the universe didn't mean that what they were doing was _fake._ It was entirely real and serious and the thought of it made Rhys equal parts sick and happy. None of it a game just for the sake of it (even if that _was_ what they were doing-- marriage in order to have the taste of ‘husband’ on each other’s lips), but they'd be _married_ to one another even once Rhys was gone. Proper. 

Regardless of whatever happened, that fact would not change.

It got Rhys excited in the same way it must've Jack, the alpha giving him look after look, grinning, touching him a lot. It was something that would tie them together even if they were apart, and there was something comforting in that. Rhys would be back. He would. For how long, he didn’t know, but he knew he’d be seeing Jack again even after he left. He’d have to.

 _Helios’ Finest_ wasn’t just a name, but indeed a fancy jewelry shop deeper into the more expensive shopping levels on the station. Rhys didn’t know how many people actually had use for tiaras and sceptres, but the diamond and pearl-encrusted timepieces, delicate silver necklaces dripping with ruby pendants, and shiny gold-gilded pen-sets probably saw a lot of action from Helios’ upper management. Bribes weren’t cheap after all, Jack said.

But they weren’t there for that. 

The shop itself was closed up, private, only the two of them and the alpha that owned it inside for Rhys to leisurely choose without distraction. The myriad of engagement rings sparkled inside the glass display, and the owner himself was there, a confident smile on his face as he personally serviced the CEO of Hyperion and his soon-to-be husband.

They were shown many different stones, styles of cutting, metals, design options, and tried to narrow down Rhys’ own tastes as to what the omega himself was looking for in a ring. Rhys had to admit he was a little flustered by the options afforded to him-- and Jack’s assurances that if he didn’t see something he liked, they’d _make it_ for him. Jack personally kept steering him towards the stones set in platinum, and there were so many gorgeous rings there that the omega had to admit to being just a tad overwhelmed.

“This here is the largest diamond on Helios, sir, mined from deep inside Elpis itself,” the jeweller offered, showing the CEO the rather wieldy rock. “More rare as far as moon-diamonds come, and larger than anything pulled out of the Edens.”

“Now _that’s_ what I’m talking about,” the alpha said with a grin, shooting his gaze to Rhys. He squeezed the omega’s hand in his. “What do you think, baby?”

Rhys felt his heart skip a beat at what frankly looked fake, the precious stone was so big. He didn’t want to even consider what it might cost, the slight pink-sheen to the pretty gem the same color as Elpis. That diamond was practically a moon in itself.

“It’s… kind of big, right?”

“Largest among the neighboring planets, sir,” the jeweller confirmed. 

Jack shot a toothy grin to Rhys, and the omega’s brows furrowed. He let Jack down easy where the ridiculous rock was concerned. “I’d be scared to lose it. Or get robbed wearing it.”

“Pfft, you? Get robbed? Not on my watch, buttercup.” The alpha wrapped his arm around his waist, but dismissed the giant diamond for further-encrusted rings of varying shapes and sizes.

Rhys shook his head at one after another. They were huge, of course, but he didn't necessarily want something insanely big just for the sake of expensive and flashy. This was his engagement ring from _Jack._ He wanted to look at it and always think of the alpha; of this moment. And though ‘gaudy’ might've fit the tacky alpha’s expensive taste, it didn't say _Jack_ himself.

The thought made him laugh, though.

“None of these…”

“Yeah get that crap out of here. You call this _expensive_? Are you trying to insult me?!” Jack asked the suddenly flustered jeweler.

Rhys’ eye caught a gorgeous little piece while Jack was still haranguing the man about _pricier_ and _stylish_ while the other alpha quickly offered opening his personal vault of un-set stones to please the CEO. 

But Rhys’ mind was already made up as he gazed into the display. 

There was an oval-cut-emerald ring, surrounded by two smaller ovals of sapphire and even smaller, round diamonds of declining size tapering off into the yellow gold it was set in to. It wasn’t _too_ gaudy-- reminded Rhys a little of a peacock in coloring if he was being honest- but it was _perfect._ This was the ring for him; nothing else would do.

“Jack-- Jack what about this one?” Rhys pointed into the glass display.

The CEO left the red-faced owner to join the omega at a less-expensive case. He frowned, and inwardly questioned Rhys’ taste. “ _That? That's_ what you want?” the alpha said, unimpressed by the low price tag compared to what he’d been looking at brought from the jeweller’s own vault. The owner himself quickly made his way over to the counter to bring out the ring, gently set in a yellow-velvet box with a white interior.

Rhys _loved_ it.

“Something more simple, yeah,” the omega told the older man with hot cheeks. It was hardly _simple_ , but compared to what the CEO had been looking at, this was more to his speed.

Jack raised a brow, but didn’t question the look on Rhys’ face. It wasn’t platinum, but then he supposed that would be okay. He was going to get them both the highest grade platinum wedding bands that anyone this side of the galaxy had ever seen; Rhys could have his tacky little gold one if that’s what he wanted right now, even if he’d already admitted a predisposition to shinier metals. “Okay, well... if you're sure, baby. Try it on.”

Rhys was shocked that it was actually his size. His cheeks further reddened to Jack’s puzzlement, but then the alpha supposed he looked mighty pleased, and that was all that this little trip was about.

...And also ordering the wedding bands so he could marry the younger man as soon as possible, of course.

“Huh, look at that. It fits and everything,” Jack said with a grin. “Guess that's a sign. That’s what you want, sugarpie?”

“Yeah… yeah I-- It has to be this one.”

Jack snorted. “Whatever you want, kitten.” He gave the owner a pointed look. “We’ll take it. Make with the fancy wrapping or whatever.”

“...Can, uh, can we get it engraved?” Rhys found his words to bring him under the alpha’s speculation, and he grew embarrassed. He was being sappy, he knew, but the jeweller didn’t judge, merely hopped to getting him a standard form and asked him to write whatever he’d like, and he would personally see it was done before the day was out.

“What’re you gonna have him put, Rhysie? I don’t think a drawing of my dick will fit.”

The omega actually gave him a scandalized look and a playful shove at that as the alpha just chuckled and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He wrapped an arm around the younger man and Rhys couldn’t meet his or the other alpha’s eyes as he muttered that he just wanted yesterday’s date. He was gratified when the man told him he could do something that simple right there if they didn’t mind waiting. Jack didn’t, of course, and crowded into Rhys’ space against the counter with a smirk as the owner took the ring into the back.

“That’s cute, pumpkin. Really sweet,” he said with a pleased grin as he nibbled up the younger man’s throat. It didn’t escape Jack that Rhys wanted the date Jack asked him to marry him. It made the alpha purr in his throat. Just when he thought Rhys couldn't get more perfect. “You excited to be all mine, sweetheart? Ready to ‘tie the knot’? Heh heh… I think you are…”

Rhys snorted, but he wrapped arms around the older man with pleasure, smiling as he gave the alpha better access to kiss about his neck. “Don’t make fun of me. That-- I don’t want to forget.”

Jack pulled back at that-- to Rhys’ sounds of displeasure- to look at the omega. His red cheeks were cute as hell combined with that pout, and the alpha felt his heart speed up looking at the younger man. 

He knew what Rhys _meant:_ that he didn’t want to forget the date Jack asked him to marry him _once he was back on Crius._ Jack still needed to figure out something to do about _that_ issue as a whole, but for now, the sentiment that it meant so much to Rhys-- that it was so _important_ to him he not forget under any circumstances- made the alpha swell with pride and happiness... and more than a little arousal.

“Oh Rhysie… you are _way_ too adorable, buttercup. Not even married yet and you’re this devoted? I mean, it’s _me_ so I’m not _too_ shocked… but damn baby. You’re making me all hard and soft at once.”

The omega snickered and shook his head, but let the older man pull him into a kiss. His hands were at the back of Jack’s neck, his thumbs stroking the alpha’s throat as he couldn't keep the grin off his face. He was euphoric with happiness. Jack was going to be his. Any omega should ever hope to be as happy as him. “Tomorrow night… we're gonna be married…”

The CEO smiled. “You betcha, sugar. What? Not soon enough for ya?”

The omega only snickered. “I'm… _really_ excited.”

“ _Damn you are way too freakin’ sweet honeypie you know that?_ ” Jack asked as he crowded into Rhys’ space to kiss and smile at him. Did the omega have _any_ idea how damn adorable he was? Was he _trying_ to play up the cute timid omega role? Or was he genuinely bashful that he was marrying Jack? Either way, the alpha _loved_ it. All blushes and smiles and that sparkle in his pretty eyes. He couldn't stand it. 

He was sucking a kiss onto Rhys’ neck that made the younger man helplessly moan when the jeweler discreetly coughed to let them know he was there. 

Jack turned, grinning lecherously before smirking at the polished and engraved ring held on a delicate white pillow before them. He took it up, such a swell of pride and satisfaction welling in him it choked a lump in his throat, and he slipped the engagement ring onto Rhys’ flesh finger _without_ a witty remark.

Rhys himself felt dizzy at the motion, Jack putting the ring there himself-- a physical embodiment of _commitment_ \- making his heart speed up like crazy and made everything that much more real. 

They'd be doing this again tomorrow night, but it would be wedding bands, and they'd be _married._ He'd have a husband. 

Rhys couldn't find his voice to save his life, but Jack was rubbing his hand with his own already and turning back to the other alpha to tell him to gift wrap their box, and that he'd expect their other rings finished by tomorrow.

They were both taut with energy as they left, hand in hand with different expressions on their faces. 

Rhys was grinning, unable to stop as Jack’s fingers twitched around the one wearing his ring. The older man himself was trying valiantly to keep what would have been an enormous smirk off his face, instead lips tight until they got back to the elevator that would take them to the penthouse.

Jack pulled the younger man to him in the elevator, kissing his lips with endless smiles before bringing up his ringed hand and kissing over the digit. 

“These stones are so tiny,” Jack grumbled. “I'll still buy you that huge boulder if you want it, Rhysie. Get the band fixed so we can turn it into a cock-ring. Wear it all the time without worrying about being robbed. Gorgeous thing like you deserves the best.”

The omega laughed, hard, and shook his head, leaning against Jack with a wide smile. “That's not necessary,” he snickered. “And this _is_ the best. I didn't get this one for how big the gems were.”

“Then why not go more expensive? He had eridium diamonds in gold too. Same size, _way_ more rare.”

“No. These are- they’re the color of your eyes, and that old sweater that's seen better days….”

Jack was silent a few beats as his brain processed that, and what it found sent a livewire through him. He was crowding the omega into the wall of the elevator, laughing and kissing and grinning as his heart sped up at the realization that Rhys genuinely, _really_ liked him. _Him_ himself, and not his money and power-- though those were added bonuses. Offered with the possibility of expensive, shiny things, and the omega had taken the route of sentimentality. That was too friggin’ cute, and it filled the alpha with such happiness he didn't quite know what to do with himself. 

“Oh you're _too_ damn sappy, you sweet little thing... My perfect Rhysie… you're so damn precious sugar peach you know that? That's way too-- You gonna think of me when you look at it, sweetheart? Are you wearing Hyperion colors now to remember your big strong alpha?” Jack purred at the omega while Rhys found himself getting more and more pleased with the older man’s reaction.

Rhys was grinning and trying to push Jack away as the alpha cuddled and kissed and generally buttered him up with too-sweet words, laying it on real thick until the omega was laughing and kissing him back with fervor.

It was like a wall had come down with Jack, and it was equal parts exciting and distressing. This was new. The open, unguarded expressions on Jack’s face made his gut lurch. Rhys _loved_ it. The honesty of it. The lack of frustrating games or put-on bluster, _knowing_ Jack meant it all.

He liked it too when Jack manhandled him off the elevator and into the bedroom, the omega snickering, trying to remove the alpha’s clothes in the process but Jack wouldn't pause in kissing him long enough to do so.

Instead, the older man stripped him to nothing but his engagement ring, and made Rhys come apart beneath him with mouth and fingers and cock and all.

Rhys laid there under him, stroking fingers through Jack’s grey and brown hair, and breathing in his strong, satisfied scent as the alpha’s knot stuck inside him. Jack had a hand tucked under and around Rhys’ neck, fingers teasing at the nape absentmindedly and causing little tingles of pleasure and well-being to course through the omega. He didn't think Jack was doing it on purpose, and the thought that the older man was touching him there out of instinct alone made Rhys’ toes curl. 

Then it hit him once again, _hard:_

Jack was going to be his _husband._ He was going to be married to this man tomorrow night. It wasn't fake or pretend or just for show, but it was as real as real could get. Even if-- _when_ he left, Jack was _still_ going to be his _husband_ , and Rhys was _still_ going to be a married man, whether here on Helios or far, far away back on Crius. He was going to be married to one of the most handsome examples of an apex alpha he'd ever met.

That was… quite an idea to get used to. 

_That_ and the million miles of space they'd be separated by.

“What's up baby?” Jack asked as he moved to catch Rhys’ eye.

“Hm?”

“You about to have a coronary?” Jack tapped his fingers against Rhys’ chest, speaking to the wild thumping of his heart inside; errant thoughts getting the younger man excited.

Rhys gave a sheepish grin. “Just thinking…”

“Yeah, _something_ crazy the way this thing’s goin’.” Jack patted his chest again and Rhys couldn't help it; his heart sped up even more. 

Rhys’ fingers came to rest at the top of Jack’s spine. “Jack… can we…”

“What's up, Rhysie?”

“After… After I deal with everything back home and retake Atlas… how can we make this work?”

The older man propped himself up, taking Rhys’ face in his hand and stroking the younger man’s cheek before pressing a kiss to his lips. Rhys chased him for another before Jack smirked down at him, more pleased at the question than he had any right to be. “We’ll make it work, baby.”

Rhys frowned at the confidence in his voice. “How?”

“We’ll figure out the how later, okay? Just leave it to me, buttercup.”

Rhys’s fingers lightly scratched at the back of Jack’s neck, beseeching the older man. “...can't you just come with to Crius?”

“Rhys…”

“I know you'd like it. I mean, even if you couldn't stay, it would be--” Jack interrupted his pleading to press a firm kiss against the omega’s forehead. The gesture almost made the younger man want to cry. He pulled Jack back down to him to hug him tightly instead. The alpha settled heavily upon him with a neutral hum.

“Don't worry about later, princess,” Jack spoke into his neck as he scented the younger man. “Let's just have fun in the now, hmm? I'm gonna have some cute young exotic thing from the furthest planets as my hot young husband. All I wanna think about is what a lucky bastard I am.”

“Jack….”

The alpha pressed another kiss to Rhys’ forehead and then to his lips, and the omega whined as his knot slipped out of him as the older man moved. But Jack just chuckled and cuddled him again after tying off the condom.

“You wanna shower, cupcake?”

“Not particularly,” Rhys purred, holding the older man against him and nuzzling him. “You smell so goooood…”

The way Rhys drew out the syllable made Jack grin against Rhys’ shoulder. The omega was currently on cloud nine, and he'd had something to do with that, chest puffing with pride. The alpha chuckled. “That so, baby?”

Rhys was cuddling him close, rubbing his face against whatever part of Jack’s skin he could get. His heart was thundering in his chest, and he just wanted to stay close to the alpha; wished he could bring him back with him. “Mm hm.”

The older man just smirked and settled back down on top of him. 

The shower could wait. The night was still young, and there was plenty of time to still decide on a venue within Helios, and place his order for fancy champagne among other things. Rhys was going to be useless for a while anyways considering the way he was scenting the older man, and Jack was keen to indulge it.

He kissed Rhys’ flesh fingers, belly doing acrobatics seeing the engagement ring there. 

Everything would be different tomorrow. Maybe a _little_ the same, in terms of making the omega see stars, but still different. 

Jack couldn't wait.

\--

Not that he'd ever admit it, but Jack _clung_ to Rhys that night. If he thought the omega didn't notice, he was definitely wrong, because Rhys clung right back and pressed into every caress or hold the older man got on him. 

Jack held him from behind, kissing Rhys’ shoulder, and the omega had an arm behind himself to grasp behind Jack’s upper thigh; to keep himself pressed every inch he could against the older man as he angled his neck for more kisses or moaned the alpha’s name.

With their wedding looming, what it meant in the long run was on both men’s minds. And it showed in the way they touched one another. Jack had been cuddly before, but this was so much more, on a level hard to articulate. He was begging with his body. They both were. Trying to convince the other through physical touch alone to things that just wouldn't work out in the end.

Rhys wanted Jack to come back with him to Crius. He also wanted to stay. He couldn't have both. And Jack, of course, didn't want the omega to leave him at all.

It was hard to even consider leaving with the pleasure of the warm alpha at his back, strong arms wrapped around him and cuddling him close in the softness of the bed that smelled like the two of them. 

That was a problem for future-Rhys though. Right now, the Rhys that was getting married tomorrow wanted to enjoy the feel of his alpha’s fingertips and the timbre of his voice as Jack hummed and whispered sweet things into his ear.

\--

“I mean-- and don't take this the wrong way,” Rhys began, “but does it even matter?”

“Rhysie, pumpkin, _butterbean_ , of _course_ it matters. We’re only doing this once, and I don't want any creaky-chairs distracting me from you.”

Rhys snorted. Jack’s choice of _chairs_ that whoever he was going to have witness sitting in them was _hardly_ important in the grand scheme of things. They weren’t even going flashy-big or public with the wedding until _after_ they’d heard from Rhys’ uncle. It wasn’t worth risking the man back on Crius learning that Rhys was anything _but_ a captive, but afterwards… 

Well, however Jack wanted to go public was fine by him, but there would be no one he knew at his own wedding anyways, so he didn’t really care about the comfort of stuffy executives or anything aside from the alpha he was going to marry. This was the very definition of wedding planning at short notice, and honestly Rhys would be pretty happy just exchanging rings with the other man alone and taking some nice photos before devouring his new husband back in Jack’s bed.

Although he _did_ laugh and agree that, yes, they _did_ need an ice-sculpture that looked like Buttstallion, and no, an archway covered in fresh flowers _wasn’t_ too much. The glittery golden curtains might be a little tacky but Rhys agreed that they were wonderful and necessary and Jack gleefully ordered those too.

And then Rhys realized something that got his blood pumping in a panic: “Jack… _I don’t have anything to wear.”_

“No? You want daddy to order you something pretty?”

Rhys snorted at his nonchalance and wondered if the alpha already had his own suit picked out and ready. He wouldn’t put it past the older man, even with the sudden timing, but nothing Rhys had bought for himself really screamed _wedding_ to him. “No. No, I need to find something myself.”

“That’s cool sugar. Wanna go now? We’ve still got…. Ten or so hours? Bet we can have that kinky store you like make something for you on short notice.” He waggled his brows at the omega, and Rhys rolled his eyes. “I’m thinking a net of diamonds over golden panties. Mmmm hmmm.”

“I’m not getting _married_ in something like that, Jack. And I want photos.”

“Right. Right, save it for the honeymoon. Gotcha.” 

The alpha winked at him, and Rhys felt his cheeks go red even as he rolled his eyes again and smiled. Jack pulled him into his lap and kissed all over his throat and the back of his neck. It made Rhys purr even though he scrambled to get up and away. He didn’t have the hour to spend letting Jack toy with him (and only an hour for such things was a conservative estimate anyways) and he finally pulled his hand from the older man’s kisses as he put some distance between them. 

Jack just grinned. “Wanna go shopping, baby?”

“Yes, but you’re staying here.” Rhys was all smiles as Jack gave him a frown, and the omega shook his head and adamantly told him that if he was going to do this, he was going to do it _proper_. And that meant something _fancy_. Something that Jack wouldn’t get to see before the ceremony.

“Come _on_ sweetheart, you _know_ I have excellent taste where these things are concerned.”

“We still have too much to do before tonight, and your taste is arguable.”

“Pfft, I chose _you_ didn’t I?” Jack said playfully, an unrepentant smirk on his face.

“I’m going to decide that was a compliment and _not_ leave you standing at the altar,” Rhys said with a pleased grin, rewarding the older man with a kiss before moving away again. “I’ll try not to be more than two hours. And don’t watch me on the security cameras. I mean it, Jack.”

“Come on butter biscuit--”

“ _Butter biscuit?_ ” Rhys snorted dismissively, a smirk on his face. “Biscuit is a dog’s name.”

“Okay _cupcake-butt,_ ” Jack amended with a smirk, “but you can’t really expect me to--”

“You’re not supposed to see me until the ceremony, and it’s not a surprise if you see what I get,” Rhys told him stubbornly, arms crossed. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing this _right.”_

The pink of embarrassment filled Rhys’ cheeks, and Jack thought he could just eat him up right then and there. The older man got to his feet to wrap himself around the omega in a pleased bear hug, scenting up his throat and kissing just under his ear while murmuring to him in such a deeply pleased voice that Rhys only went redder.

“You are so friggin’ cute, sugarplum… Wanna give me a surprise, huh? Don’t think I’m not gonna strip whatever you wear right off as soon as you’re mine…”

That tone was _criminal,_ Rhys thought, and boy was it doing interesting things to his belly. The heat of Jack’s breath at his ear and the way the older man tugged at his lobe while he held him close had the omega getting a bit slick. Praise dropping from Jack’s own lips? Yes please.

But they didn’t have time for this.

“ _Jack….”_

“...hooo my Rhysie… we’re gonna start married life off with a bang, huh? ... _Heh, get it?_ ” Jack chuckled a little, gratified at the way Rhys moved his neck in invitation to let the older man mark him up further. “...gonna have myself the cutest little husband…” he lightly bit him on the side of the neck, and a shiver went through the omega. “You’re gonna go down in history as the only omega to ever tie Handsome Jack down…”

“Now _there’s_ an idea,” Rhys said with an amused scoff. 

Jack pulled back to look at him with a sort of surprised, intrigued look. Now _there_ was something they hadn't done yet. Did Rhys want to tie him up? Or did he want to be tied up by Jack? Both were arousing options in the alpha’s opinion, and he went a little quiet as his brain spun possibilities and how soon he could get his hands on some silk ropes.

Rhys pulled him close with a chuckle to press their lips together, and was rewarded with quite a kiss indeed. He patted the older man with a very pleased hum as Jack let him go. His voice was still adamant, even tempered by Jack’s affections. “Don’t ruin my surprises by spying on me, Jack.”

“ _Fuck_ baby, I’ll let everything go black if you’re coming home with kinky surprises. Don’t let me down, mm?”

Rhys snorted, and the alpha pulled him close yet again, taking handfuls of his ass as he pressed another kiss to his lips. Rhys gave the older man a smile and a squeeze himself before re-adjusting himself and leaving the office. 

Jack’s wolf-whistle as he walked away had kept the smile on Rhys’ face all the way down to the hub.

\--

There were a few things that had caught Rhys’ eye as he spent part of that morning looking in Helios’ many boutiques and upscale clothing stores. He didn't know if he wanted to go more traditional towards what omegas back home wore, or if he wanted a stylish, modern suit cut to his stature. There were things he looked at on the echonet as well that he took into consideration; what the people of Helios seemed to favor, and what was in vogue and what actually looked good in his opinion.

He wondered what Jack was going to wear, and chuckled to himself as he pictured the alpha in a very fancy suit indeed... With that patched yellow sweater that was his favorite, and his sneakers he liked to trot around Helios in.

He probably wasn't too off the mark, actually, and wouldn’t even be disappointed to see the CEO in his everyday comfort-clothing that he wore at home. It was very _Jack._

Picturing the alpha made him smirk. He knew something Jack would like very much indeed, and it was already at home in a bag in his room. Yep. _Definitely_ going to wear that under everything. Jack would unwrap him like a present indeed when he realized what Rhys had bought.

...he was getting a little ahead of himself, though. He needed to choose something soon.

Rhys looked at himself in the mirror as he tried on something at the fancy tailor Jack had bought his many suits at. It was a little in between the traditional but modern look he was going for; accentuated the length of his legs, but also left a whole lot to the imagination. He looked _good_ if he said so himself. The dual-tones also contrasted nicely with his tattoos, and he felt comfortable but also fancy. 

It would make a nice picture-- literally- regardless of what Jack himself chose. Everything went with black and white, and with Jack at his side, he knew he’d look fondly on their wedding photos for years to come. Something respectable and fashionable that he could have hung on the mantle back home on Crius, or printed in the local papers. Respectable. Classy. 

And make Jack’s jaw drop.

Rhys resolutely made his order with the same tailor from before, the owner promising quick work for any adjustments as he already had Rhys’ measurements. It would be delivered to Handsome Jack’s office in a few hours’ time by the man himself, who thanked Rhys for the opportunity and gave a friendly wink at the younger man as he left.

The omega was so excited and happy with himself as he was making his way back to Jack’s office that he never even saw the man that grabbed him. 

\--

Jack was being as good as he could, not having hacked the security feeds even once while Rhys was down in the hub. He was excited as well for what the younger man might bring home, _eager_ not even being close to how excited he was to start their honeymoon.

He sent Rhys more than a couple of texts-- asking both for hints on what he was buying, and suggestions for kinky things- but the omega had only sent back pictures of his coffee cup and the ice cream container he'd had, smug face grinning as he teased the alpha from inside the cafe he’d stopped by.

It made Jack snort. Perfect little shit. How could anyone _resist_ making him theirs? Jack thought Rhys was the neatest thing ever, and planned to make his soon-to-be husband the happiest damn omega in the freakin’ universe. He couldn’t _wait_ until they were married. Yeah, he could do any number of things with or to the omega right now, but having the title of _husband…_ Well, as far as kinky things went, it really _wasn’t,_ but Jack had to say the idea _really_ got his engine revved. 

Jack needed to ask Rhys what his favorite post-orgasm food was-- aside from what he already knew- and that he'd stock the fridge with anything the omega could want. He called up the younger man’s comm, the device going to voicemail. He tried it again, wondering if he'd caught Rhys at any interesting moments in the dressing room when his call picked up. “Heeeeey buttercup, since our honeymoon begins more or less tonight, I want your fav snacks so all we gotta do is bang, babe. What’d’you--”

There was muffled sound on the other end, like Rhys had answered it in his pocket. Jack listened closely, trying to divine what store he might be in if he could catch that stupid muzak that played in most of them, but nothing was forthcoming. 

He was going to holler at the younger man that his comm was on, before he heard the tiniest whimper; something he wouldn't have heard if he hadn't been paying attention, in a tone that was not at all okay. It made the blood drain from Jack’s face as he was instinctively on alert.

Immediately Jack brought up the security feeds of the cameras in the hub as he set the comm down on speaker, listening. Nothing else telling could be heard from the comm aside from the muffled sound, but the camera feeds were another story. 

There was smoke down in the hub, and people running. The fire alarms hadn’t been tripped just yet, but it didn’t look like fire smoke. Jack knew explosives and he knew accelerants for sabotage, but this looked like a smoke screen if he ever saw one. It made his heart leap into his throat. He didn't spot Rhys on any of the monitors, and something was obviously not right.

Jack was already ordering his personal security to get down there, tracking Rhys’ comm on his own to a maintenance level far from the hub, the tracker still currently in motion. 

Someone must’ve tried something. Another assassination attempt? But then, Rhys was still alive, that much he knew. That whimper was _definitely_ Rhys. 

Accessing Helios’ cameras from another comm as he quickly moved through backways and executive tunnels, Jack was able to lock on to his omega, slung over the shoulder of someone that would regret ever being born.

Maintenance-wing 17. That’s where he was. And it took only a few passes of his fingers over commands to lock down the exits before he was shouting into his comm redirecting his personnel. 

He held his comm connected with Rhys’ own up to his ear, listening for anything else. No sounds from the omega, but annoyed, muted curses of an unknown voice as the assailant no doubt ran into one of Jack’s roadblocks. He had him trapped at least. Couldn’t activate the auto-turrets with Rhys in there, but he was stationary. 

Jack pulled on the speed as he took every shortcut he possibly knew.

“I’m coming baby, I’m coming…”

\--

Rhys wasn’t positive what was happening, but he knew he couldn’t really move, his limbs feeling like syrup in solid form. He was disoriented as hell, too, his gaze no longer on the polished floors of Helios as he’d been in and out of consciousness. There was brushed metal all around him as his head lolled forward towards his chest, and he inwardly panicked as he was certain he was back inside a crate.

But no, there were hands under his armpits, tugging him along, and he realized he was in a long, squat hallway with a suffocatingly-close roof. An air vent? 

Rhys weakly tried to fight against whoever had hit him. They'd stuck him in the neck with a syringe, he was pretty sure, and he felt sedated; no doubt tranquilized. His weak wiggling hardly inconvenienced his attacker, who dropped him a moment, and all Rhys saw was more brushed metal.

“Nnghh…” Rhys tried to speak, but his lips wouldn’t make words. There was a sound-- thin, metallic pressure warping- before a minor crash of metal. Then he was being tugged again, watching as his long legs slid after him. There was another pause, dropped again before he was being tugged and could feel nothing behind his back. 

He panicked before he realized he _wasn’t_ being dropped off the side of a building, but pulled out of what had definitely been a relatively-low air vent to a much, _much_ larger area of space. 

He recognized where he was, actually, and the alpha who had him only confirmed his fears as Rhys was hefted back over his shoulder and transport shuttles were brought into view. 

They were in the hangar. Same one Jack had shot the last assassin in, and Rhys’ heart rate spiked. Was he being kidnapped? They would have slit his throat already otherwise. Shit. Did Jack even know he was-- No, he’d told Jack at _least_ two hours. The alpha wouldn’t even know anything was wrong until it was too late.

Rhys moaned out, trying to speak, to yell, to do _something_. He could barely move as it was, and his minor wiggling wasn’t even inconveniencing the man who had him, rehefting his weight as he looked to and fro. Was he going to steal a shuttle? Or was he expecting pickup? 

It was quiet in the hangar bay as the alpha walked in clear search of something, pausing as a voice called out.

“Hey!”

The voice immediately stopped the man who had him, and gave Rhys hope. Security? _Ooooh_ Jack was going to tear this guy apart.

_“Mind your own business.”_

The first words his kidnapper spoke since grabbing him. An accent he recognized as Crian. Fuck, was his uncle behind this? How had he gotten someone to Helios so fast? Rhys struggled as best he could, and the other voice spoke up again, now closer.

“Whatever you’re doin’, I don’t think you should be.”

Rhys could have punched the other voice for not already shooting, knowing for a _fact_ that shady things went on in Hyperion-- as Jack had said, competition could get _very_ heated indeed- but he didn’t think that being an accomplice to _kidnapping_ went under acceptable forms of getting ahead.

Then again, Jack _also_ said that ’accidents’ tended to happen when management lost their edge to competitors, and Jack himself had strangled more men in front of Rhys than he cared to be party to, so maybe a limp body being hefted off to god knows where in a quiet transport bay wasn’t all that strange.

Rhys struggled with indignation at the idea, being jerked once and told to knock it off before he was suddenly thrown to the ground. 

The omega winced at the impact, fallen on his cybernetic arm that took the brunt of the fall. That fucking _hurt_. And his body wouldn’t obey his commands to try and get up-- get away- or at the very least, reach for the comm in his pocket to call Jack.

There was a lot of sound and activity suddenly-- yelps, boots on metal, guns cocking, and the meaty sound of fists on flesh that was stopped as multiple voices followed by one he knew _very_ well entered from the vent he’d been pulled through. 

Rhys was being gathered into familiar arms, trying and failing to grasp the alpha properly as Jack’s worried, _livid_ face came into view. His scent enveloped Rhys, and the relief he felt coursed through his sedated body.

“Baby, fuck what did he do to you?! Are you okay?”

“Myeh… _Yeah_ ,” Rhys managed, turning his face into Jack’s chest against the sound of pained groans and wet coughs-- most assuredly his kidnapper- as Jack hugged him close.

Rhys’ fearful scent entered Jack’s nose, but he wasn’t drenched in it. Whatever the man had done, it hadn’t been beyond snatching him. _Or_ his omega was just that much of a badass. It was clear Rhys had been drugged, the younger man’s face alert but otherwise unable to much command his own body. Some shitty paralytic tranquilizer then. 

Jack would make a note for that for the interrogation.

“Sweetheart… _shit_ …” The alpha really didn’t have any words. He was overcome with relief that they’d gotten to him in time-- that goddamn air vent had been an unknown factor when Jack had locked them in- but he was utterly grateful. Oh, he still felt the urge to fight-- to protect what was his from anyone and everyone- but he had Rhys nestled in his arms now, and his assailant captured. And he wanted to hold the younger man just a little more than he wanted to rip apart the bleeding one on the ground. “I’ve got you, okay baby? I’ve got you.”

Rhys swallowed heavily. “...Jack.”

“It’s alright, sugar. Don’t try to talk. We just gotta wait for whatever shit he pumped into you to wear off.” The omega weakly pressed his face into Jack’s chest again, and the crouching alpha pet his hair, cradling him close as his heart _still_ tried to beat out his damn chest.

Jack watched as his security had weapons pointed at the man on the ground who’d abducted Rhys. The man’s face was bloody, and he was freshly missing teeth. Not the handiwork of Jack’s guards, but satisfying just the same. The other alpha who’d been pummeling him when they had jumped out of the air vent was standing with his bloodied knuckles up, cautious, but no threat. 

Jack was going to give him the biggest damn raise this side of the stuffy old executives who refused to die.

“You. Blondie. Yeah, _you._ That your handiwork?”

The man looked down at the one with guns trained on him, eyes nervously surveying the guns held on himself before landing back on Jack. He was smart, the CEO thought. Maybe he’d promote him to personal bodyguard for Rhys. 

“Yes sir.”

“Excellent. It’s good to see I still have a few employees that know how to work with their hands. What's your name, kiddo? I'm gonna give you a nice fat raise and a promotion. How does that sound?”

The other alpha gave him a crooked smirk and a chuckle as he slowly lowered his hands. “Uh, I don't actually work for ya. _Technically._ But I was happy to help.”

Something pricked up Rhys’ spine, and he managed to turn his head to who was speaking as Jack asked the man what the hell that was supposed to mean, and if he was being cute with him. Rhys felt his body turn to glue as he looked on the impossible, eyes meeting with eyes he never thought he’d see again.

_“...A-Axton?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not doing what you think, but I _went_ there xD did anyone else see this coming? That Axton wasn't really dead? Hahha idk but I've been sitting on this the entire time and wasn't originally gonna play with it but it worked with helping me solve the disinterest i had in writing this fic, so heeeeey xD
> 
> Leave a comment if you enjoyed. _Especially_ leave one if this is your first read-through and you haven't done it before... cuz i feel like i'm screaming into the void a lot and i dont know what you like haha and now i go to bed xD
> 
> [my tumblr](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/) | [my fic masterlist archive](http://purge-that-urge-rhackathon.tumblr.com/post/134979026515/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive) | ao3 FAQ: [Can I post comments anonymously, or if I don't have an Archive account? ](https://archiveofourown.org/faq/comments-and-kudos?language_id=en#anoncomment)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this update out. My life has been a perfect clusterfuck since like october, and then the whole tumblr insanity happening, and then our internet has been out for literal _months_ and we just switched providers this morning, soooo.... yeah haha 
> 
> I super SUPER appreciate all the comments. I've been going through rereading them all trying to light a fire under my butt and also address certain things in-story. Sorry that like... timeline-wise, the last several chapters have been like... one day x_x I frustrate myself doing that too, but well, as long as it's enjoyable and not taking way from the story, and you're all enjoying it, then i dont mind if you dont :) Otherwise like... it feels like filler, and i apologize for that haha

“ _Axton?_ ” Jack repeated, an uncomfortable sensation going through him as he held Rhys in his arms.

The sandy-haired alpha looked puzzled a moment, his expression cycling through confusion, bemusement, and then mirthful recognition. His voice was shocked, surprised, but _happy._ “ _Rhys?_ That you?”

The omega was staring in shock like he’d just seen a ghost, unable to use his goddamn mouth to say any number of things. His suddenly-watery gaze moved to Jack, and he saw something there that scared him. He tried to tug at the older man, but his hand merely managed a weak stroke. The paralytic was still going strong in his system. “Jack…”

The CEO looked down at the omega in his arms, hefting him a bit closer to his chest, then looked back. “Take them both for interrogation.” 

“Hey now, I--”

Jack cut off the other alpha as he spoke to his soldiers. “Be _nice_ to blondie. I’ll be down later,” Jack instructed as Rhys suddenly squirmed with clear panic in his arms. Jack huffed at the look of alarm there as the omega tried in vain to string incomprehensible words together, and he stopped him before he began, addressing his security once more. “I mean that. He’s a _guest.”_

Rhys still struggled in Jack’s arms as security drug the beaten man away, and marched Axton himself away at gunpoint. Jack reshifted his omega in his arms before pressing a kiss to Rhys’ head. Tears were leaking down the omega’s oddly-judgmental face, and with a horrible churning in his gut, Jack sighed before speaking. 

“You can’t even stand up yet, baby. Just… Let this shit wear off before you start giving me dirty looks, okay?” Jack turned back towards the elevator that would take them back up, planning to give shit to maintenance over the air vents not being properly secured, and muttered to himself as he carried the omega. “...some gratitude for the hero coming to save you…” Rhys’ indignant snort met his ears, and Jack looked down again to find him glaring at him through tears. 

The alpha still couldn’t suppress the utter relief that went through him, even with the younger man giving him the dirtiest look he could muster through heavy sedation. 

Whatever. They could all get some answers _after_ Rhys was able to stand on his own two feet again, and Jack would cuddle him close in the meantime.

\--

Security sent up a report on the blond alpha shortly after Jack had Rhys situated on the couch in the living room. The man who had tried to kidnap Rhys was still being… _questioned._

Rhys’ old alpha was supposed to be dead-- Not that Jack _wished_ it, but Rhys himself had said he’d died in the war. Every instinct was screaming out to destroy his competition: another alpha that would try to steal away his omega.

It made Jack snort. As if Rhys would leave him for a man he hadn’t seen in years and _years._

It gave the CEO an _awful_ lot to think about. Mainly about how he wanted to rail at the man for abandoning Rhys back on Crius in the first place, and what in the hell was he doing on _his_ space station now?

The last question was actually answered pretty easily by the initial report security sent up: the man was a subcontractor for wiping out some of the bandit-camps down on Pandora. Eridium-junkies and psychos had been a problem for a while in some of the more desolate places Hyperion had yet to secure. The alpha was personally responsible for keeping those areas clean from anyone who might try to compromise his eridium production-- through the last few years and several big-name offenders put down, as a matter of fact. Hyperion kept excellent records, of course, and it wasn’t even the first time the alpha had come up to Helios to collect on a particular bounty. 

More than that, the man had a _family_ down there. That equally relieved some worried part of Jack that he didn’t want to acknowledge, and also again infuriated him on Rhys’ behalf; some idea that Rhys’ happiness had been stolen by the man’s presumed death. Though if that _hadn’t_ happened, Jack never would have met Rhys. Probably.

It was only out of deference to the omega that he didn’t let his guards have a little fun with the Crian alpha, but so far the ex-Dahl soldier was waiting in an interrogation cell, and Rhys was still fighting the effects of his sedation from a comfy spot on the couch while Jack paced with his comm in hand.

“...Jack… y-you can’t…”

“Rhysie, sweetheart, I _promise_ nothing is going to happen to him until I get some answers.”

The omega frowned at that wording, scared of what Jack might do if he considered the other alpha a threat. He felt tears come to his eyes once more; still in sheer shock that Axton was actually _alive._ “He… saved me…”

Jack sat next to the younger man, Rhys having gotten _some_ movement back, though not much. It was wearing off though, was the good thing. Even if his speech was still slurred and his tongue felt thick in his mouth. But that would take time, and the younger man was clearly impatient. 

“Yeah, he saved you, a little before _I_ got there,” Jack pointed out sourly. At Rhys’ glare, he frowned and ran fingers through his hair. They did _not_ have time for this bullshit. And like it or not, Jack was pretty sure he’d have to postpone their wedding. Rhys all strung out wasn't exactly his idea of marching towards matrimony. Jack moved his gaze away from the younger man again, nerves still churning his stomach in an unfamiliar way. “...guess we’re not getting married tonight, huh sugar beet?”

“ _No.”_

Rhys’ strong objection got Jack’s attention, the omega adamant and frowning at Jack like he was stupid. That tone brooked _argument_ with Jack’s statement; his eyes were defiant at Jack’s assumption-- that they were _still_ gonna marry tonight. 

He was weakly reaching for Jack, and the alpha stared at his hand for a second before snatching it up in his own and kissing the back of his palm. Rhys’ fingers delicately tried to wrap around his hand, and Jack’s closed them fully with his other. Jack felt ashamed at the sheer amount of relief that rushed through him with that simple gesture; reassurance that Rhys still wanted _him_ in the face of an alpha believed dead from his past.

Jack snorted, a smirk on his face. _Of course_ he wanted Jack. Why wouldn't he? Jack was awesome. The most awesome guy in the universe. Why _wouldn’t_ Rhys still want him? “You saying you still wanna get married _tonight,_ honeypie?”

“ _Yes,_ Jack.”

A grin perked up half Jack’s face at Rhys’ tone-- as if Jack was a dumbass- even as the alpha himself scoffed. “What will people think if my pretty bride has to be strung up like a scarecrow to marry me?” 

Rhys frowned, voice a slurred growl as he was getting a little choked up with emotion watching the older man’s face. What a fuck of a time to be a ragdoll. “JJJack… I want… want…” Jack kissed his hand again, watching him so intently that Rhys _wished_ his damn arms and legs worked so he could wrap himself around the CEO and hug that stupid, calculating look right off his damn face. He was already choked up-- still reeling over the impossibility of Axton being _alive-_ and he couldn’t even say the things he wanted to; _needed_ to.

Jack pressed a kiss to Rhys’ knuckles. “That stuff should totally wear off in a few hours, sweetheart. If we still have time-- Well, let’s not _rush_ just because we said tonight, even though I know how bad you wanna jump my handsome bones. Or one _bone_ in particular.” Jack gave him a shit-eating grin as he looked at the younger man, mood _much_ improved, though he refused to acknowledge it. “And don’t give me that look. I’m not whatever it is you wanna call me.”

Rhys rolled his eyes before enjoying the warmth of Jack’s arms being brought about him.

Jack was insecure. It didn’t take a genius to see that. But Rhys relished in the way the alpha hugged him, _extremely_ aware of the way the older man stroked at the back of his neck, and he felt better with the comfort. He was able to turn his head just enough to scent Jack’s neck and hum in his throat, tears pricking at his eyes again at the thought that maybe Axton hadn’t wanted him in the end, but that hardly mattered as he now had Jack.

Rhys was still _floored_ by the idea that Axton was even alive, regardless of the why and how, but the transparent worry that Jack was showing-- 

That he thought he might lose out made Rhys want to laugh. 

“Baby…” Jack pulled back to look at the younger man, eyes inspecting his face. “You’ll probably be up and about in less than two hours… But in the meantime, I’m gonna pay our friend a little visit, okay?” Rhys’ alarmed look and sudden intake of breath made Jack frown. “For the love of-- I'm not gonna _do_ anything to him, princess. Okay? As long as he’s not here for you.”

Rhys didn’t like the implications of _that_ for several reasons, but most importantly, he wanted _answers_ from the Crian alpha, and he was scared Jack was going to jeopardize that somehow.

Rhys was able to get himself just a bit up under his own power before Jack was stopping him from flopping to the ground as his limbs still wouldn’t obey him. He was panicked, fairly certain Jack was going to kill Axton. The Crian alpha hadn’t taken anyone’s shit back in the day, and if he was any bit the same as he used to be, it would be a meeting of powerful egos and forces. Any way he looked at the situation-- and knowing the CEO- the omega had every reason to be _concerned._

Jack rolled his eyes as Rhys was only able to half-stutter his sentences as he tried to make Jack _stay._

“Rhysie-… _Hey_ , stop your squirming and _listen_ to me: I just wanna _talk_ to the guy, okay?” Rhys’ eyes were locked onto his own, and Jack held his gaze until the younger man relaxed somewhat. “You trust me, right?” Jack kissed his hand, locking eyes with the younger man. Rhys’ own were troubled, but Jack could see how they softened as they looked at one another. It filled him with some feeling he couldn't quite name. Pride perhaps. Or satisfaction. 

The alpha stroked over the omega’s fingers, lingering on the ring there. Stones that reminded Rhys of Jack’s eyes. That was about as sappy as _hell,_ but it spoke _volumes_ to the older man. Jack wanted to absolutely do right by the omega; prove a worthy mate; someone to _stay_ with. He’d do anything to hold on to that trust.

“How about this? I'll let you watch the security feed while I pop down to see our friend, okay baby? I promise I’m just gonna talk, but if you wanna keep tabs, that’s fine by me.” Rhys gave him a suspicious look and a scoff, and Jack rubbed a hand over his thigh, speaking playfully, “I mean, I _know_ how much you like movies about _me._ But this is a show only you get to watch.”

The alpha’s dirty tone got a little smirk, and Jack gave his thigh a reassuring squeeze, knowing Rhys would sit for now while _he_ went down to interrogate the other alpha.

While Jack wanted to shoot the guy into orbit just for who he was, he had to show a little restraint. This was a chance to show Rhys he could be trusted. Reliable. That he didn't need to go back to Crius at all; that Jack could fix things from here. 

And with the nod and muttered ‘just talk’ from the omega himself, Jack pressed a kiss to his forehead and then his lips, setting him up with his own comm to the frequency of Axton’s cell. 

\--

It was a while after he’d left Rhys that Jack wondered at the wisdom of syncing up his comm with the security feed for the Crian alpha. 

Axton was _handsome,_ even with the scars on his face, and stupid Dahl chevrons implanted into his skin. 

The Dahl thing was forgivable-- Jack had crushed them after all, and what was a lone remnant but a reminder of how defeated they were? But the attractive features were _unpardonable._

If circumstances weren’t what they were, this was an alpha that Jack might’ve chased after _himself._ He smelled like Pandora and bullets and something that warned he was more hassle than he was worth. It was a very good scent-- something missing from the types of alphas he employed on Helios- and that worried him as much as it interested him on a primal level.

Rhys must've been _seriously_ heartbroken when he didn't come back to Crius. And now that he was _alive…_ Well, Jack wasn't threatened by an alpha from a tiny nothing planet. But the fact that Axton was attractive and _here_ wasn't something he could ignore. 

The man in question was lounging on a cot facing the wall as if he'd only been minorly inconvenienced by being thrown into the small, square cell. Jack wasn't sure yet what he wanted to do with him, but he figured the answer would come once he'd spoken with him. Though _what_ that was could be handled later, as he was certain Rhys was watching with extreme focus, but at least he couldn’t _hear._

Jack had some serious _questions._

“Hey. _Blondie._ ” Axton jumped up, and Jack inwardly smirked at the reaction as he stood just outside the cell, arms akimbo. “Just what are you doing here on my space station, a million frikkin’ miles from home, at the right place and the right time when my omega is being abducted?”

The other man raised a scarred brow, voice conversational. “Your omega? He bonded with you?”

Jack sure as hell wasn’t going to answer that, eyes narrowed at the tone that suggested Jack wasn't good enough for Rhys. The fact that he hadn’t answered him and instead _questioned_ him rankled the CEO as well.

“Answer my questions before I send you on a free trip out the airlock.”

“You know… When you released those bounty-heads, it said there was goin’ to be a _reward_ , not imprisonment. And the piece of crap mayor said there wasn't enough funds to transfer planetside; that I had to turn it in up here. I was waitin’ for clearance _inside.”_

The imprisoned alpha looked a lot less scared and a lot more _inconvenienced_ by the fact that he was in a cell and face to face with Handsome Jack himself, and though he didn’t want to acknowledge it, Jack _liked_ that attitude. Rhys was a choice omega if there ever was one, and any alpha that wanted him needed to be up to par. That this Axton wasn’t a pushover was something Jack could almost respect.

The CEO looked him up and down. “So you're a bounty hunter?”

The other alpha shrugged. “Somethin’ like that.”

“And what, there's no bounties on your end of the universe? Or does Hyperion just pay better? Scratch that, I’m _sure_ we do.”

The Crian alpha scoffed, a little confused. “I've lived on Pandora for years now. I don't know what you're talkin’ about.”

“ _Crius._ A little backwater planet all by its lonesome? Run by the Atlas corporation? Ring any bells, jarhead?”

A little wisp of a smile just-brightened his features. “So this is about Rhys.” Axton’s voice was confident, level, and Jack couldn't deny it even if he wanted to. The alpha looked at the CEO through the bars. “I don't know what he was told, but I spent _years_ trying to get back on Crius. His shithead uncle had me blacklisted. He still alive?”

Jack chuckled in surprised amusement, the quick change in his mood from animosity to admiration giving the CEO whiplash. So Axton hated the uncle too, even after all these years. Jack smirked. “Not for much longer.”

“Good.”

This Axton, Jack decided, he kind of liked.

“So what’s happening with Rhys? Who _was_ that? Is he okay?”

“I’m asking the questions here,” Jack asserted, reminding the other alpha of his place in the universe. “Now I want you to explain a few things to me,” Jack said, willfully ignoring the fact he was asking after Rhys’ past out of more than just self-interest, “because I do _not_ want Rhys unhappy, and if you left him without good reason, I'm gonna have to let my boys have a little fun with your kneecaps.”

Axton huffed. “Sounds like a regular Saturday night where I'm from.”

That made the CEO chuckle despite himself. 

_Hooo_ , Jack _really_ liked this guy. 

\--

“Jack!” Rhys jumped up from where he’d just sat back down on the couch as the alpha walked in the penthouse door. He’d been about to wear a tread in the carpet he was so anxious. “I’ve been calling your comm--”

“Yeah yeah, I know. Talk about needy--”

“ _What did you do?”_

Jack paused. “Whaddya mean?” the alpha asked as he placed his hands about Rhys’ shoulders in a comforting squeeze, looking him over as the tranquilizers seemed to have well worn off. Good to see the younger man was up and about.

Rhys placed his hands over the ones Jack had on him, taking them in his own before letting them go between them. “Security came and took Axton from the cell after you left. I watched on the monitor. Where’d they take him?”

Jack gave him a frown. “ _Really_ kitten? You think so little of me?”

Rhys snorted. “I _know_ you.”

Jack laughed with no small amount of pleasure from that accusation, even as Rhys was shooting him a glare. “Maybe you don’t know me _that_ well, mm? He's free to go, sweet pea. No worse for wear.”

Rhys gave him a distrustful look. “ _Really?”_

Jack rolled his eyes melodramatically. “His entire story checks out, princess. Though if you _want_ me to shoot him out an airlock later, well, I’ll let you push the button, how about that?” he said with a toothy grin. 

Truth was, Jack had _really_ been hoping for a reason to vent the attractive man, but nothing found was worth risking Rhys’ affection. Hell, Jack’s own enjoyment of talking with the other alpha grated on his nerves more than anything. It wasn't hard to see what Rhys liked when Jack liked the same thing. 

Axton was a badass. Not as much as Jack himself-- no one could quite reach that- but he was a badass in his own right.

It rankled him, but the truth of matters were, he had nothing to be concerned about. Unless Rhys decided that Axton was worth shooting into orbit later, in which case, they could have it be the entertainment for their wedding reception.

Rhys was giving Jack distrustful looks even still, and the older man rolled his eyes, grin tempering from his own amusement about letting Rhys send old boyfriends into Helios’ orbit. “Serious, pumpkin. It’s all more boring than you think,” the alpha said as he sat for a moment on the couch, and tugged Rhys down to sit in his lap. The omega squirmed with a frown, but stayed put. “Turns out his mate is one of my ex-girlfriend’s kids, and _they’ve_ got ankle-biters already.” He shook his head in derision. “ _Shit,_ I dodged a bullet there, let me tell ya. Those could be my _grandkids._ No thanks.”

That felt like a punch right to the gut, and Rhys choked on his words. “H-he’s married? With _kids?”_

“Yup,” Jack said nonchalantly, pressing a kiss to Rhys’ neck. “And again I am just _so_ glad I’m not with my ex-girlfriend anymore _geez_ could you imagine _me_ being a grandpa? I’m _way_ too sexy to be _that._ Ugh.”

Rhys gave him a look as the alpha turned it into all about himself, but he supposed the facts still spoke: Axton _wasn’t_ here for Rhys. It was all one big, painful coincidence.

He supposed it worked out in his favor though, as he was currently sitting in Jack’s lap and _not_ being smuggled back into some crate or something. What a way for things to turn out, though.

“You really didn't hurt him.” His statement was uncertain, but the wink and the way Jack’s arm tightened around his waist made Rhys believe that maybe the alpha wasn’t feeling quite as insecure anymore... Which would mean he didn’t see Axton as a threat, which means he probably actually didn’t hurt him. 

“ _Really_ really, baby. I mean, I'd _like_ to use him as target practice for abandoning you, but then _I_ wouldn't have you right where I like you best of all--” he said with a little wiggle under Rhys, the man’s thighs over his cock, “-so, no. I didn’t break his kneecaps or anything like that,” the alpha said a bit specifically as he moved a hand to Rhys’ thigh and grinned at him. “See? You can trust ol’ Jack, honeypie. Man of my word. Just like a hero should be.”

Rhys offered a bit of a smile, still reeling from the thought that Axton had a _family_ , but glad the Crian alpha would be left alive to go back to them. Even in the face of Jack’s glaring desire for approval-- possible that his actions had hinged on Rhys’ opinion alone- the omega _was_ grateful the Hyperion alpha hadn’t done anything to him. 

“Jack… Axton was-- I really can't believe he's not dead. And _married,_ I just--... I'm so, _so_ happy that he's alive, like you wouldn't believe... But that-- _obviously_ we’re different people now,” he stated. “He made his choices in life, and I'm making mine. I’m just-- I’m only glad he’s alive after all.”

He didn't imagine the tension leaving Jack’s shoulders; it was as if he'd just lifted a huge weight from the older man. He realized Jack had needed to hear that, and the naked insecurity shining through the cracks of his “don't give a shit” attitude only made Rhys wrap his arms around the older man and nuzzle his face into his neck.

“Jack…”

“Yeah, buttercup?”

“Did he… Is he already on his way back to Pandora?”

The older man couldn’t see his face, but he could hear the plaintive note in Rhys’ voice: had the Crian alpha abandoned him again?

Jack pulled back, lips tight and unwilling to spill what he’d hoped wouldn’t come up. “No, baby. He's actually in a room. I can have him leave if you want though, just say the word.” He didn't mention that the alpha had asked if he could speak to Rhys, and was waiting for the privilege should it come up. Jack hadn’t intended to say anything, but the tone of Rhys’ voice… This wasn’t something he thought he could lie to the omega about without regretting it. Rhys needed _closure._

The omega pulled back to look the older man in the eyes. “I can talk to him?”

“If you want to, kitten,” the older man sighed. “Ah...” Jack looked at the time, and realized they had very little time left until their proposed wedding hour. It made him antsy, but at the same time, he wanted the _best_ for the omega, and a rushed-wedding wasn’t something he thought would do. “I think we’re gonna have to shoot for tomorrow-night at this rate, Rhysie. The wedding?” he clarified as the younger man gave him a confused look that turned into concern.

Thoughts of Axton momentarily fled his mind as panic about _not_ marrying Jack creeped up his spine. Rhys felt nervous at delaying their wedding. He wasn’t sure if he was scared he was going to lose his nerve, wise-up to the very-unrealistic ideas on how they might make this work, or that _this_ was the universe’s way of saying he and Jack shouldn’t get married after all. The idea of putting things off even one more _day_ terrified him. 

“N-No, no Jack, can-- I want it to be _tonight_. It _has_ to be tonight. Even if we push it back a few hours, I just--” He was suddenly shaking a little in the older man’s lap-- everything a bit overwhelming. He didn’t think that was an unfair assessment.

Jack pulled him close, all fired up again at the sudden change in the omega. “What’s wrong, baby? Come on butter butt, tell daddy what’s wrong.”

Rhys ignored that little epithet as he looked at his lap, trying and failing to ignore the churning in his gut as his breath came little faster. His voice wasn’t as steady as he would have preferred. “...I don’t want a chance to back out.”

Jack frowned in worried confusion. That wasn’t what he’d expected. “What do you mean, Rhysie?”

The omega looked skyward, trying not to cry _again_. “This isn't _smart,_ Jack. It's not smart,” he stated helplessly, looking anywhere but at the older man. “I’m going back to Crius-- I _am_ \- and this isn’t smart at all, and I--”

“What a sec there babe marrying doesn't _have_ to--”

“I still _want_ to marry you,” Rhys interjected quickly, looking at the alpha with a pleading expression. “It's just not _smart,_ Jack.”

The alpha shushed him, trying to calm his own suddenly panicked heart as he held Rhys against him and kissed him and promised that it was the right choice; that everything would be okay, and not to spend time dwelling on the matter. They could still get married tonight-- it wasn’t a problem at all, and he’d make whatever Rhys needed to happen to marry him happen.

The almost desperate note in Jack’s voice shocked Rhys’ tears away. He held the alpha back as Jack was nuzzling him hard, the alpha’s nose dragging up and down his neck scenting him while Rhys leaned into the gesture. He could practically smell the desperation on the older man, and it oddly calmed him, knowing Jack felt just as strongly as he did. “I _want_ to marry you, Jack. Just you. But it’s… It's still not _smart._.. but I don't want time or even the chance to back out.”

The alpha let a little chuckle loose against Rhys’ neck. “Well shit buttercup, I'm moving it up at this rate. Wanna head down right now?”

Rhys snickered at his renewed voice. “I do, but let me just…. I wanna talk to Axton first. It won’t take long,” he suspected, hoping answers would be forthcoming from the Crian alpha, and moreover, that he could get _closure._

Jack nodded and cuddled him a little while longer. 

They then left together to the room Axton was waiting for Rhys in, both more nervous than either was willing to admit.

\--

Rhys was allowed to go into the room Axton was waiting in alone. Jack told him he had some time to chat, but better make it count if they wanted this wedding to happen _tonight._

Rhys was sure there were cameras in here-- a stipulation of being left alone with the alpha, certainly- but he didn’t care. One second he was opening a door, and another he was meeting the eyes of the alpha he’d once considered bonding with back on his home planet. 

Jarring didn’t cut it.

“Rhys! Hey I-- Wow, just look at you.”

Rhys found his feet stuck to the floor, his tongue thick in his mouth as years of emotional heartache came once again to the surface, old bereavement forming as tears in his eyes. 

He hadn’t planned to hug the alpha, but a step forward turned to another, and Axton was opening his arms to him, and then he was hugging him as if it had been days instead of years since the last time they’d seen each other. 

The omega was crying tears of shock, relief, and confused bereavement all over again. Axton smelled like some distant memory; something that made him feel nostalgia for the ghosts of safety and care; a short-lived period of perceived safety in his life. There were differences to his scent, of course, but he still smelled the same, and it made the sobs rise up in Rhys once more, holding tight. 

The alpha scented him like one might a family member, soothing and patting him until Rhys’ shock somewhat calmed. Axton’s own eyes were getting moist, not expecting the scent of the omega to hit him so strongly, but so, _so_ glad to be able to finally make amends for eventually abandoning him to their home planet.

They pulled apart enough to look at one another; Axton’s face held a huge grin, and Rhys’ was still watery with tears and a smile.

“I can't believe you're alive.”

“Hey now, no cryin’, darlin’,” the alpha said with a grin, patting him comfortingly. “Talk about an unexpected reunion, right? Never thought I'd see ya again, let alone in the company of _Handsome Jack.”_

“How are you _alive?”_ Rhys asked bluntly, voice more level as he still gaped at what was flesh and blood before him. They broke apart proper as Axton motioned for them to sit on the generic furniture in the room, and they sat near one another to talk. “My uncle said you died in the war. Your whole unit got taken out.” He was fairly certain at this point, however, that everything his uncle had ever told him was a lie.

Axton scoffed. “Come on Rhys, you know I'm harder to kill than that.” Rhys rolled his eyes with a smile and the alpha laughed. “It put me up in triage for a little while, got these cool scars,” Axton said as he pointed to the scar on his chin, and the one that cut through his brow. 

“Geez…” Rhys said as he thought about the kind of damage that must've been done. He wondered if it had taken a long time to heal. “But obviously it didn’t kill you. Axton… How did you get out here?” he asked with wonder, and in a smaller voice, “...why didn't you come back?”

The alpha gently took his hand with a sad little smile, wrapping his own around it to give a comforting squeeze and a pat with his other. There were no warm fuzzies that hand might've once caused, the absence of such a reaction giving Rhys an odd sense of relief. He squeezed Axton’s hand back with comfort.

“I never abandoned ya, Rhys,” the alpha said, so heartfelt like it had been waiting in his chest all these years to finally tell the other man. “I _tried_ to get back on Crius for _years._ Your bastard uncle had me blacklisted,” he spoke uncharitably. “God, the amount of messages I tried to get to you… I hoped something might make it through…”

Rhys shook his head. “It didn’t.”

The alpha frowned to himself. “I'm so sorry, Rhys. I _tried_. I didn't mean to just leave ya to those skag-suckers. One year became two, two became three, and I ended up way out here.”

“It's okay,” the omega said, realizing that he believed his own words. It _was_ okay. Axton was alive, Rhys had survived, and they'd both made lives for themselves. Rhys would have never met Jack if Axton hadn't taken up with Dahl, and he would have never known what his uncle was trying to do right in front of his face without being shipped out to Helios; not without meeting Jack.

Maybe it had all worked out for the best.

“I can't tell ya what a mind-fuck it is to see you out here, on _Helios_ of all places.” Axton’s voice was still full of disbelief at the happy coincidence. “I always hoped you'd be okay… If my unit hadn't been deployed out here, I would've kept trying to get back… Crius is… Well, it’s _far_ ,” he said with chagrin.

“You don't need to make excuses, Ax. It was a long time ago. We were pretty much kids anyways.”

“Something like that,” the alpha agreed amiably, his smile faltering a moment in consideration before he smiled again. “I’m still just floored to even see ya, darlin’. It doesn’t feel like it’s been so long. We uh… Still friends though, right?”

“Friends that used to fuck?” Rhys laughed, a lot of tension leaving him at the alpha’s returned laughter at the blunt sentiments. Talk about clearing the air. But it didn’t feel awkward whatsoever. It was comfortable and familiar even after all these years. It was _so_ so good to see him alive and well. To talk with him. Someone he had intimately trusted. 

He could count those he _did_ trust on one hand, nowadays.

“Hey, it's something,” Axton chuckled. “You seem happy though, Rhys. It's-- You look good.”

“Do I?” the omega asked with genuine interest, though not just for his vanity. It got his heart speeding up-- the idea that he looked _happy_ \- thinking about Jack, that the short time with the alpha had impacted him so much already. He supposed excitement over marrying the alpha was somewhat to blame for his energy too. 

He retrieved his own hand to idly play with his engagement ring again with a smile. Axton’s eyes followed the movement with a smile of his own, but he didn’t comment.

“How long have you been out here? I would've thought someone marrying Handsome Jack would've made front page news on Pandora. I mean, news travels slowly where we live, but even _I_ woulda heard of that.”

“Uh… not very long, actually. We... _heh.._. until you stopped that guy who grabbed me, we were supposed to be married tonight. You uh, kind of saved the day… I’m _sure_ Jack didn’t tell you that, though,” he said a bit meanly on purpose, certain Jack was probably listening in as well as watching. He smirked imagining the look on the older man’s face, but Jack didn’t bust in, giving them ‘privacy’ just like he said he would.

“I-- _holy shit_.” Axton gave him a pensive once-over, and Rhys could feel heat coming to his cheeks. “Why wasn’t there security on you?” Axton immediately asked. 

“I had my stun baton but-- Well, I was tranq-ed.” Rhys lightly snorted to himself, just a tad amused by how blasé he was about his _third_ kidnapping attempt, everything considered. “I was picking out my wedding outfit, actually. I wanted it to be a surprise, so… no, no security.”

Axton sat back at that, exhaling loudly and deeply. They sat in silence a few moments, each processing their own thoughts. “This has been a _hell_ of a day, Rhys. I don’t think I’ve had this much news since-- _Hell_ , I don’t even know,” he chuckled.

“Ya think?” Rhys said sarcastically, running a hand through his hair with his own scoff that made Axton snicker and look sidelong at him.

“You know, you look really different without that huge mop on your head.” The alpha gave him a little nudge, and the omega laughed.

“It's been _years_ since I cut my hair, Ax. I wanted the board to take me more seriously.”

“What? All those curls were too cute for them?” the alpha asked with a grin.

“Yes,” Rhys replied with a little laugh, thinking back to what he looked like when they were together. Axton had had longer hair then, too, but the crew-cut right now looked good on him. “ _God,_ I still can't believe you're alive. What’s all--” he pointed to his own temple while looking at the marks on Axton’s forehead, “-this anyway?”

“Oh, uh… my rank,” the alpha said with a shrug. “After I couldn't get back on Crius-- and my damn unit got blown to bits- I enlisted with Dahl. Made it to sergeant before I went AWOL.”

Rhys raised a brow at that; both impressed with his rank and also perturbed at the outfit he’d joined. Jack had _crushed_ Dahl. He wondered if they'd ever fought directly against each other. Then again, he supposed Jack would have come out on top in that fight. “You uh… _Dahl,_ huh?”

“Yeah, I know. And here I am taking contracts from Hyperion. Whatever puts food on the table and let's me kick ass, ya know?” 

“So that much hasn't changed,” the omega said with a laugh. “You always liked a fight.” Axton merely shrugged, and Rhys smirked. “How did you get way out here, though? You know how far we are from Crius, right?”

“Yeah, no kidding. I could ask you the same thing.”

“I uh…” Rhys sighed. There was no concise way to put it, and he didn't want the alpha thinking badly of Jack. Or, anymore than he already might, given what he knew. “There is so much going on back home, Ax. It's just-- It's kind of a shitstorm right now.”

“You fled?”

“No, not exactly. It a _long_ story.”

“Hey, I've got the time.”

Rhys smirked. “You won't like it.”

“What's to like about any of this?” the alpha said. Rhys shrugged. Couldn't argue with that.

It turned out not to take as long to explain things than he’d thought, but damn it was _exhausting._ He told him what he knew, what had taken place since Axton himself had been figured for dead, and how he was trying to get his company back on the right track. 

“And you're marrying Handsome Jack, huh? Is it for the resources? Hyperion is powerful. More than anything you could imagine back on Crius.”

“No, no it's really, _really_ not,” Rhys said a bit fondly as he twisted his engagement ring on his finger.

Axton wasn’t sure how to feel about Rhys marrying the man every Pandoran hated with all their being. Not the sweet little Atlas heir that had been campaigning for less weapons research since he'd come of age. And now marrying one of the biggest weapons manufacturers in the known universe?

Axton gave him a serious look. “Rhys… I think you know I wouldn’t steer you wrong-- even now- but…” His voice took on a softer note; one more of concern than passing judgment. “You know what kind of man he is, right? His reputation?”

Rhys’ gaze moved from his own; answer enough right there. Jack… _did_ things that he wouldn’t do if it was him on Crius, yeah, but then, Hyperion and Pandora didn’t have too much in common with Atlas and Crius. And where Rhys himself was concerned, Jack was just-- He was _perfect._ He was arrogant and whiny and liked to have his way, but when it came to Rhys himself… “Yeah… but, I can’t help who I-- I-I--”

Axton watched as moisture came to his eyes, and he offered an understanding smile. “You love him, huh.” Rhys’ lip trembled, and the big alpha sighed and clasped a hand to his shoulder in tacit approval. It had been over ten years since they’d last seen each other; it really wasn’t Axton’s business to be passing any kind of judgment on the omega. Especially after the things he’d done as a soldier of fortune anyways. “Hell… maybe you’ll be good for him… And what’s good for him is what’s good for Pandora. _As long as he makes you happy._ ” He sighed and offered the omega a begrudging smile. “He’s not a Crian, that’s for damn sure.”

Rhys laughed, and it broke some of the tears from his eyes that he quickly wiped away. “No… No he’s unlike anyone from Crius.” Rhys smiled. “Tell me about your mate. Jack said you were married.”

A toothy grin broke over his handsome face, expression beaming with pride. “Aw geez, what to even say? She's _gorgeous_. Strong. Smarter than I'll ever be,” he said with a laugh. “Knows her way around an engine like I do a semi-automatic. Met her taking a bounty after my ex-wife ditched me-- uh, she wasn't my _ex-_ wife until that happened- but yeah. Talk about a match made in heaven,” he said with a goofy grin.

Rhys’ eyes were wide. “I-- You've been married _twice?_ Already?”

“It's been over ten years, Rhys,” Axton pointed out with a crooked grin that made the omega chuckle.

“I guess you're right,” he said with a smile. “Doesn't feel like it.”

“I know,” he said fondly. “Hey, wanna see a picture of ‘er?” Axton asked excitedly, digging into the collar of his shirt to pull out dog tags entwined with a simple locket. The alpha opened it up proudly for the omega to see, leaning over to show the smiling face inside. “That's my Ellie. Gave me three babies, got another one on the way. Best woman this side of Pandora.”

“I-- _Shit_ , you have _three_ kids?”

Axton grinned excitedly, already digging into a side pocket in his vest. He produced another couple of bent and weathered photos, the oldest picture of a tiny baby-- most likely his firstborn- and a more recent-looking photo of Axton holding a different baby in the crook of his arms with a toddler on his knee and a little gremlin of a kid tugging at him insistently. The alpha’s face was wide in a grin as he sat atop an enormous tire in some kind of scrap yard.

“That’s Flora, Mae, and Andy. My little terrors,” he said with a laugh. “Mae is a better shot than her uncle, and she only just turned four.” 

Axton was _beaming,_ and the regret Rhys had felt over what his uncle had done was turning to warm admiration. Axton had had a good, productive life, even if Uncle Solomon had barred him from returning to the planet he’d called home. A most productive life indeed. Rhys could see the man’s features picked out here and there in the picture of his pups. It warmed the omega with fondness.

“We don’t know what the next one is yet, but there’s a betting pool down planetside about it,” the alpha said with a laugh. 

“They’re beautiful. Look at you, a family man. You’ve definitely been busy,” Rhys said with a chuckle.

“Can’t keep my hands off ‘er. And vice versa,” Axton laughed. “I-- well, no… maybe-- I wish you could meet ‘er,” the alpha finished awkwardly. “You’d like her a lot, Rhys. I know you would. She doesn’t take shit from anybody. Even me,” he finished with a fond laugh.

Rhys thought on meeting the mate of his once-lover. It was probably unlikely, even if he was curious. He was going back to Crius soon, and he wanted to spend all the time he could with Jack. Even _without_ the awkwardness of knowledge that Axton’s _mother-in-law_ was _Jack’s ex,_ that would be... 

_Yeaaaah,_ probably very unlikely indeed. “That would be nice, some day.”

“You could meet my rugrats.”

Rhys smiled, making a noncommittal noise as they sat comfortably together. “So uh… I think I should tell Jack to let you back to your kids.” His awkward chuckle only made Axton smile.

“Yeah, the missus is gonna be wonderin’ where I am. And you’ve got your own wedding to get to, right?”

Rhys felt suddenly awkward, not meeting Axton’s eyes, and wondering if he should invite him to the wedding. If he was being totally honest with himself-- no matter that it made him feel kind of scummy to even think it- he didn’t really _want_ his past lover at his wedding; he didn’t want a single distraction from this memory with _Jack._

“Yeah, uh, I guess there’ve been enough hiccups today… I uh… yeah,” he finished a little lamely.

Axton saved him from his own awkwardness. “Hey, this is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, Rhys,” he spoke up with a grin, and clapped a hand on the omega’s shoulder. “I’ll send you up a wedding present soon, yeah? Just-- If marrying Handsome Jack is gonna make you happy, then you do it, darlin’. And I hope your shithead uncle chokes on the news.”

Rhys laughed surprisingly hard at that sentiment, feeling a lot better about things; as if everything was brought to a neat close.

He didn’t see Axton to the hangar bay, instead returning to where he’d parted from Jack.

The alpha was waiting for him, and Rhys felt his chest tighten as the bored expression on the older man’s face turned to a smooth grin.

“Hey sugarpie.”

“Jack.” Rhys went into his arms and nuzzled the older man. 

Jack wrapped his arms around him and stuck his face in his neck. He could smell the other alpha on him, and greedily rubbed his own scent onto the younger man. “You ready to get hitched, kitten? Tied down? Tie the knot? _Get it?”_

Rhys huffed into Jack’s embrace, nuzzling him and pressing a kiss against the older man’s pulse-point. “You’re such a romantic,” he teased, but only pressed closer to the alpha. “How much time do we have?”

“About an hour… But I can push it back, baby.”

Rhys shook his head before pulling back to look the older man in the eyes. His heart skipped a beat as the alpha gave him a grin. He was going to be his _husband._ And he did _not_ want to put that off any longer.

“Nah. An hour is plenty.”

“Really? For _your_ hair?”

“Look who’s talking, _ass._ ”

Jack only cackled at that and kissed the younger man on the lips, the idea that this would be one of the last kisses they’d share _not_ married making his belly do acrobatics. 

They held hands as they made their way back to Jack’s penthouse to primp and pick up Rhys’ delivery from the tailor. The omega wouldn’t even allow Jack a hint of what it looked like, though to be fair, the alpha had his own perfectly-tailored suit waiting in the dressing room adjacent the hall they were going to have the ceremony in. They’d both get ready in separate rooms, and he was certain Rhys’ jaw would drop when he saw him.

Clammy hands and nervous smiles, they made their way down to the floor that Jack _swore_ up and down was only ‘coincidentally’ just above the orgy pits. 

It was so like Jack, Rhys was only amused as hell, and hoped the older man had been serious when he’d mentioned getting an early start on their honeymoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of gonna breeze through their wedding next chapter. Oh we'll still get all the indulgent fun, but yeah :3 Let's just cryptically say I don't wanna have to write that scene twice HUHUHUUU
> 
> ...I'm planning like 30 chapters for this story, shit is still yet to happen, but next chapter will move the story more forward i think AHAHH
> 
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> ( Just an FYI: you'll need to be logged in to tumblr for my blog to show up since it's marked explicit :D)
> 
> Please leave kudos and a comment if you enjoyed! ao3 FAQ: [Can I post comments anonymously, or if I don't have an Archive account? ](https://archiveofourown.org/faq/comments-and-kudos?language_id=en#anoncomment)


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